Eli Willits didn’t need long to justify why the Washington Nationals were willing to make him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft.
The prep standout wasted little time flashing the bat, collecting a hit in each of his first nine professional games to finish his debut season with a .300/.397/.360 line. Hitting was supposed to be the carrying tool anyway.
The bigger question was whether he’d grow into power. In 2026, he started answering that in a big way.
Across Single-A, High-A and Double-A, the 18-year-old posted a combined .265/.406/.463 slash line. The slugging percentage and .869 OPS stood out, and MLB Pipeline singled out the power as the one number in Washington’s farm system that really grabbed their attention.
"... he put those concerns to rest by hitting 14 homers and slugging .463 as an 18-year-old climbing from Single-A to Double-A. Guardians outfielder Juneiker Caceres was the only age-18 batting qualifier in full-season ball with a higher slugging percentage (.484)," they wrote as part of their reasoning.
That power jump matters because Willits was already carrying a loaded profile. He stole 62 bases in 2026 and turned in a .981 fielding percentage at shortstop, with seven errors over 873 1/3 innings. Add in the new damage at the plate, and Washington may have something much bigger than a polished hit tool alone.
He was already viewed as a star prospect when the Nationals drafted him, but the latest step forward has pushed him into a different tier. MLB Pipeline placed him No. 6 in its overall prospect rankings after the 2026 season, and the next phase of his development will center on one key area: the swing-and-miss that showed up more than expected this year.
Still, that’s part of the normal learning curve for an 18-year-old in his first professional season. The more important takeaway is that Willits looks like the full package now, and the power piece makes his rise even more dangerous for opposing pitchers - and even more encouraging for the Nationals.
In Other News...
Nationals Could Be Ready To Move On From Key Underperformers
The Nationals 2026 season has started to look a little clearer in one important way: the organization has more young talent pushing for bigger roles, and the farm system has gotten enough of a boost that the front office can start thinking differently about the bottom of the roster. With that in mind, the conversation around players like Jose Tena, Drew Millas and Max Kranick has taken on more weight, because Washington can no longer afford to keep carrying spots for production that does not match the direction of the club.
What makes the decisions ahead even more interesting is how much the roster still needs established major league help to support that young core. The Nationals have shown they can identify and develop pieces for the future, but the next step is turning that depth into a more competitive big league team, and that means being willing to move on from underperformers when better options are available. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Rotation Outlook Suddenly Looks Different Because Of Three New Arms
The Nationals rotation picture has changed quickly over the past few days, and not just because of who is already in the organization. Through recent trades, Washington has brought in three pitching prospects in Jack Cebert, Ben Grable and Josh Hartle, giving the system a fresh wave of arms with some real upside. Cebert and Grable came over from the Yankees after moving from High-A to Triple-A this season, while Hartle arrived from the Guardians and spent the year at Double-A.
For a club still mapping out its long-term pitching depth, the timing matters as much as the talent. MLB Pipeline sees all three as possible major league debut candidates next season, which gives the Nationals another layer of intrigue as they build out what the rotation might look like in the near future. The immediate impact is still to be determined, but the organization has clearly added a few names worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Prospect In The MacKenzie Gore Trade Is Finally Back
Alejandro Rosario is back on the mound program after a long detour that wiped out his 2025 season, giving the Nationals at least some encouraging news on a pitcher they acquired in the MacKenzie Gore trade. Rosario had put together a strong 2024 minor league season before a torn UCL and the delayed surgery that followed pushed his development off track, turning what looked like a promising stretch into a lost year.
Now that he has resumed throwing, the bigger question is what comes next for a pitcher whose future role is still very much unsettled. Rosarios status adds a little extra intrigue to Washingtons offseason picture, because he is eligible for the Rule 5 draft and the club will have to weigh not just his upside, but how much risk it wants to take on after so much time away from game action. [Read more 🡒]