- Full name Eli Willits
- Born 12/09/2007 in
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 175 / Bats: B / Throws: R
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Drafted in the 1st round (1st overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2025 (signed for $8,200,000).
View Draft Report
School: Fort Cobb-Broxton (Okla.) HS Drafted/Committed: Oklahoma
Age At Draft: 17.6
BA Grade: 60/High
Willits boasts one of the better all-around profiles in the 2025 class. Originally a member of the 2026 class, he reclassified for 2025 and is now one of the youngest players in the class. He doesn’t turn 18 until December. Willits is a 6-foot-1, 175-pound switch-hitting shortstop who makes an impact all over the diamond. In the batter’s box, he has short, tight and compact swings from both sides of the plate and can shoot the ball on a line to all fields. He has a balanced swing with an advanced approach, good barrel control and makes contact against all pitch types with high-quality pitch recognition and timing. While Willits is more of a line drive hitter, he should have the bat speed and physical projection to develop average power to go with an above-average hit tool. Willits is a plus runner and impressive athlete who has the tools to be an above-average defender at shortstop as well as an impact baserunner. He ranges to both sides effectively and has an above-average arm that allows him to make difficult plays in the hole, with the arm versatility and body control to make all of the off-balance and in-between plays necessary for the position. Willits makes hard, aggressive turns on the bases, and his instincts show up there as well and should allow him to be a perennial basestealing threat. Unsurprisingly given the polish to his game at such a young age, Willits comes from a baseball family. His father Reggie was an outfielder for the Angels for seven years and is the associate head coach at Oklahoma, where Eli is committed and where his brother Jaxon is the team’s everyday shortstop. While there are players in the 2025 class with louder individual tools or bigger power upside than Willits, it’s difficult to point to another player who has a game as well-rounded. He’s in the mix to be the first overall pick. If that happens he’ll be the youngest 1-1 player ever drafted.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run:60 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55.
Top Rankings
Draft Prospects
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School: Fort Cobb-Broxton (Okla.) HS Drafted/Committed: Oklahoma
Age At Draft: 17.6
BA Grade: 60/High
Willits boasts one of the better all-around profiles in the 2025 class. Originally a member of the 2026 class, he reclassified for 2025 and is now one of the youngest players in the class. He doesn’t turn 18 until December. Willits is a 6-foot-1, 175-pound switch-hitting shortstop who makes an impact all over the diamond. In the batter’s box, he has short, tight and compact swings from both sides of the plate and can shoot the ball on a line to all fields. He has a balanced swing with an advanced approach, good barrel control and makes contact against all pitch types with high-quality pitch recognition and timing. While Willits is more of a line drive hitter, he should have the bat speed and physical projection to develop average power to go with an above-average hit tool. Willits is a plus runner and impressive athlete who has the tools to be an above-average defender at shortstop as well as an impact baserunner. He ranges to both sides effectively and has an above-average arm that allows him to make difficult plays in the hole, with the arm versatility and body control to make all of the off-balance and in-between plays necessary for the position. Willits makes hard, aggressive turns on the bases, and his instincts show up there as well and should allow him to be a perennial basestealing threat. Unsurprisingly given the polish to his game at such a young age, Willits comes from a baseball family. His father Reggie was an outfielder for the Angels for seven years and is the associate head coach at Oklahoma, where Eli is committed and where his brother Jaxon is the team’s everyday shortstop. While there are players in the 2025 class with louder individual tools or bigger power upside than Willits, it’s difficult to point to another player who has a game as well-rounded. He’s in the mix to be the first overall pick. If that happens he’ll be the youngest 1-1 player ever drafted.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run:60 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55. -
School: Fort Cobb-Broxton (Okla.) HS Committed: Oklahoma
Age At Draft: 17.6
Willits ranked as the No. 7 high school player in the 2026 class before he announced in May 2024 that he was reclassifying for 2025, so he will play the entire showcase circuit as a 16-year-old and could be the youngest player drafted in 2025. He’s the son of former Angels outfielder Reggie Willits, who is the associate head coach at Oklahoma, where Eli is committed. Eli’s offensive polish stands out for his age. He’s a switch-hitter with a short, tight swing from both sides. He stays balanced and has a simple approach and good bat control. Willits makes consistent contact against all pitch types, spreading line drives around the field with gap power that should tick up as he gets stronger. An average runner, Willits reads hops well and has a good internal clock at shortstop, projecting to play somewhere in the middle infield.
