Eli Willits didn’t just finish his first full pro season - he put a stamp on it.
The Nationals’ top prospect got a late-season bump to Double-A, and in his third and final game there, the 18-year-old delivered the kind of performance that makes people sit up. Willits collected four hits, launched his first home run at the level, and swiped two bags in a game that served as a fitting final scene to a strong year.
That finish only added to the case he built all season. Willits played across three levels and hit .265 with a .406 OBP and .869 OPS in 114 games.
He also walked 95 times, good for a 17.7% walk rate, and that kind of strike-zone control stood out all year long. Even against big league arms in Spring Training, his approach looked advanced, and it held up once the season got rolling.
The power was the big question when the year began. Willits wasn’t known as a pop-heavy amateur, and he hadn’t shown much thump in his brief 2025 debut.
This year looked different. He added strength, the ball started leaving the yard more often, and he finished with 14 homers, plus 27 doubles and 8 triples.
The minors saw power spikes across the board, and there’s been talk that the ball was juiced, but even if that helped a little, the growth was still real for Willits.
Speed and defense were always part of the package, and they showed up in a big way. Willits stole 62 bases across three levels, was caught 15 times, and kept defenses on edge whenever he got aboard. At shortstop, he looked far more polished than most players his age, making just 8 errors all season as an 18-year-old.
That’s the backbone of his profile: the glove, the legs, and the feel for the game. The bat is coming along too.
The hit tool has been solid rather than spectacular so far, but given how young he is, that’s hardly a red flag. If the power continues to climb and he keeps controlling the zone the way he did this season, he starts looking like the kind of all-around player teams dream on.
Willits’ last-game surge also put him in rare company. Fernando Tatis Jr., Jesus Made and Bryce Harper are among the 18-year-olds to have a four-hit game in Double-A, and Willits joined that group.
Among American-born players, only Harper and Willits have done it. That matters because of how the draft and international signing system work, which is why so few U.S.-born players reach Double-A at that age.
Willits and Harper both came through as reclassified 17-year-olds, and that combination of talent and timing helps explain why Willits is in this conversation at all. He’s already positioned himself as a top 10 prospect in the sport, and the Nationals’ first overall pick has looked every bit the blue-chip talent people hoped for.
Earlier this season, Willits made his goal plain: he wants to be a big leaguer by the time he is 20 years old. He’s built like someone who believes that’s within reach.
Family, faith and baseball are the pillars, and the confidence is obvious even if he carries himself quietly. He grew up in an MLB clubhouse, and it shows in the way he plays.
After a season like this, that big-league target no longer sounds like a wild idea. It sounds like the next step.
In Other News...
Nationals Face A Winter Debate Their Young Lineup Just Created
James Woods reaction to the Nationals trade-deadline selloff landed as a reminder of where this rebuild stands now: firmly in the long view, with young players increasingly driving the conversation. Washington has built real offensive depth, with several promising bats giving the lineup a more stable foundation than it had a year ago. Even with the deadline moves clearing the way for a slower climb, the clubs message has stayed consistent under Paul Toboni - this is about constructing something sustainable, not forcing a shortcut back into the race.
The harder part of that vision is what comes next, because young talent can make the future look brighter without solving every current problem. The Nationals know the bullpen still remains an issue, which is why the winter figures to bring a different kind of debate than the one they had at the deadline. With the lineup now showing signs of life and the front office committed to patience, the question is how aggressively Washington should try to support the core it has already started to assemble. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Suddenly Face A Tough Call On Connelly Early
A rainout has left the Nationals sorting through the next step for Connelly Early, whose scheduled Double-A outing disappeared before he could get a real test in game action. Washington wants him to have some kind of mound work before the end of the season, and the options now on the table are a stop in Rochester or a live session in D.C. as the club tries to keep his buildup moving.
The timing is what makes this tricky. Early would need to come off the injured list and get onto the mound quickly if the Nationals want him available before the schedule runs out, and there is not much margin for error with the season winding down. For a team still trying to map out its late-season pitching picture, a missed start has turned into a small but meaningful decision about how soon Early might be ready for the next level. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Prospects Are Starting To Force A Bigger Conversation
Rochesters comeback win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre offered another reminder that the Nationals upper minors are starting to push more names into the conversation. The Red Wings dug out of a 6-0 hole and finished off a 7-6 victory, with Riley Adams coming through on the go-ahead RBI single and Chandler Champlain working the start while giving up four runs on six hits over four innings.
Harrisburg added to the buzz with a 9-3 win over New Hampshire, powered by four home runs and strong showings from Jarlin Susana and Luke Young. Between the results in Triple-A and Double-A, theres a growing sense that Washington has more depth moving through the system than it did a year ago, even if the next wave is still sorting out exactly who will force the clubs hand first. [Read more 🡒]