Eli Willits didn’t take long to announce himself at Double-A.
In just his third game since arriving at Harrisburg, the 18-year-old exploded for a three-run homer and finished with four hits in the Senators’ 9-3 win over New Hampshire at Delta Dental Stadium on Saturday. For a player in his first full pro season, it was the kind of night that turns a fast climb into a loud one.
Willits is still only 18 years, nine months and four days old, which makes him the youngest player to record a hit in a Double-A game this season. He’s also five months younger than MLB’s No. 1 overall prospect Jesús Made, who has spent all of 2026 at Double-A for the Brewers. Another rapid riser, Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday, was nearly a full year older than Willits when he reached Double-A in 2023 at 19 years, seven months, 10 days.
The 2025 No. 1 overall pick has already pushed himself into rare air. His first Eastern League homer - a line drive to right-center off Blue Jays right-hander Alex Amalfi - made him just the eighth 18-year-old to homer at Double-A since at least 2005. The list is loaded: Willits, Made, Leo De Vries, Sebastian Walcott, Nelson Rada, Fernando Tatis Jr., Bryce Harper and Fernando Martinez.
That group tells the story. Made, De Vries and Walcott are all top-10 Pipeline prospects with huge ceilings.
Rada has raced through the system and is one of the youngest players at Triple-A. Tatis and Harper became stars.
Martinez was the lone player in the group who didn’t turn into a major league regular, appearing in 99 games across five seasons.
The four-hit game put Willits in an even tighter club. Since 2005, only four 18-year-olds have collected four hits in a Double-A game: Made, De Vries, Tatis and now Willits.
The tools have always been the draw. The son of former big leaguer Reggie Willits, Eli carries 60-grade hit, run and fielding tools, with his arm graded at 55 and his power at 50. Those last two figures may climb as he gets older and adds strength.
Saturday showed how the package plays. The switch-hitting shortstop added two singles, a double and two stolen bases to go with the homer. After hitting second in each of his first two games for Harrisburg, he moved into the leadoff spot, a natural fit for his bat-to-ball skill and speed.
That speed has been a calling card all season. Willits leads all Nationals prospects with 62 steals, which ranks seventh in the minors, and he also tops the organization’s prospect group in triples with eight and runs with 102. He’s second in walks with 95 and doubles with 27.
Harrisburg is on the outside looking in for the Eastern League playoffs, so Willits may have only one game left in Double-A. Even so, the impression is already in the books.
Devin Fitz-Gerald, the Nationals’ No. 5 prospect, also homered in the win. He has now gone deep in three straight games and has 20 home runs this season. Earlier in the year, the 21-year-old caught fire with eight homers in 10 games.
In Other News...
Nationals Depth Arms Are Creating A Late-Season Question
Late in the season, the Nationals lower-level pitching inventory is still offering small reminders that the organization has more than one arm worth tracking. At Rochester, DJ Herz turned in another solid outing, working 4 innings and limiting the damage to one run as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre came away with a 5-3 win. In the same game, Rochester also got a look at Cayden Wallaces power, with his 11th homer of the year providing one of the more notable swings of the day.
The more interesting tension for Washington is how those depth arms are stacking up in the system at once. New Hampshire fell 2-1 in 10 innings after a walk-off two-run homer, but the game had been shaped earlier by scoreless work from Yoel Tejada Jr. and Alex Clemmey before Thomas Schultz entered late and the inning unraveled. For a club watching closely for rotation help beyond the obvious names, those mixed results only sharpen the question of who is pushing closest to the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Lottery Odds Could Shape Their Next Big Roster Break
The MLB draft lottery has already changed how the Nationals think about finishing at the bottom of the standings. Instead of the old worst-record-first setup, the three worst teams now share equal odds at the top pick, and Washington has already lived through the volatility of that system, going second in 2023 before landing the first pick in 2025. For a franchise trying to rebuild through the draft, the difference between a favorable bounce and a modest slide can shape the next wave of talent.
Looking ahead to 2027, the lottery picture is already starting to take shape, with some clubs removed from the pool because of market size or recent top selections. The Nationals are part of that conversation again, and the broader appeal is obvious: one draw can alter the course of an entire roster plan, especially when the next class is still coming into focus and the early pecking order remains fluid. [Read more 🡒]
Nats Push For Series Win As Pitching Plans Suddenly Get Interesting
A win in the previous game left Washington with a chance to take the series, and the pitching picture around it has changed quickly. Andrew Alvarez is set to start as the left-hander gets the ball, while the clubs offense has continued to do enough to keep the Nationals in a good spot, with a positive run differential and a top-three ranking in MLB in runs scored this season.
The roster churn has been part of the story, too, with the Nationals making several moves as they try to keep the staff moving in the right direction. Harry Ford is dealing with an injury concern but avoided an injured-list stint, and the clubs latest mix of arms now gives the next game a little more intrigue than it had a day ago. [Read more 🡒]