Nationals Promote Eli Willits to Double-A, What That Could Mean for His MLB Timeline
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While it's been a struggle on the major league diamond as of late for the Washington Nationals, what has transpired down on the farm this season has generated tons of excitement.
Not only has their pipeline seen a massive year-over-year bump in the rankings according to multiple different outlets. But tons of their star prospects have been promoted over the course of the campaign, which is a good sign that the Nationals should have some high-end talent arriving soon.
Someone who everyone has circled is Eli Willits, the team's No. 1 overall draft pick in 2025 who has done nothing but impress since he turned professional straight out of high school. And after starting the season with Single-A Fredericksburg, he's going to finish it with Double-A Harrisburg.
Eli Willits Gets Promoted to Double-A
Washington's player development account announced that this notable promotion had been made. Willits, who has done well at the High-A level following his previous promotion from Single-A, will now get another week added onto his 2026 campaign after the seasons at the A-ball level ended. He'll also get to experience what Double-A is going to be like before the start of next year, which is a huge plus since that's likely where he's going to begin the 2027 season.
History suggests that Willits is going to hit the ground running with Harrisburg. Last year, as a 17-year-old following his selection in the draft, he slashed .300/.397/.360 with Fredericksburg across 15 games, which included a nine-game hit streak to begin his career and three multi-hit performances.
This season, he didn't miss a beat. He slashed .300/.418/.500 across 47 games with Fredericksburg before getting moved up to High-A Wilmington. There, he showcased some pop, as he hit seven home runs with 24 extra-base hits and 33 RBIs across 64 contests with a slash line of .230/.392/.420.
At the age of 18, Willits is now considered a top-five prospect in the sport. And with this bump up to Double-A, there is a real possibility that he could be making his big league debut at some point next season.
When Will Eli Willits Make His MLB Debut?
Since Willits is likely to begin next year with Double-A, that puts him right on track to be called up to The Show at some point during the 2027 campaign depending on how everything goes next year.
This new Nationals regime stated they are a bit hesitant to move prospects up the pipeline too quickly. However, this season has proven that they are not afraid to be aggressive with promotions if they believe those players can handle it.
It seems like Willits fits into that category. While he might not have been moved up to Double-A if the Single-A season was still taking place, it's notable that the organization felt it was best to promote him despite the fact that his batting average took a serious hit in High-A compared to Single-A. Because of that, don't be surprised if the superstar-level prospect is on the shortlist for major league callups at any point in 2027.
This offseason will be key for him to develop more aspects of his game. But the talented youngster is now on pace to be a big leaguer before he turns 20 years old.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai