Nationals Star Prospect Eli Willits Is Already Tearing Up the High-A Level

The Washington Nationals appear to have a superstar on their hands.

Washington Nationals prospect Eli Willits | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On June 9, the Washington Nationals made the decision to promote their top-ranked prospect Eli Willits up to High-A Wilmington from Single-A Fredericksburg despite him being 18 years old.

That was a testament to just how good he's been since becoming a professional, as he was a .300 hitter across his 62 games at Single-A, while he also had six total home runs, 25 extra-base hits, 42 RBIs and 31 stolen bases.

The Nationals felt Willits needed to be challenged more at this stage of his career, so they bumped him up a level in competition. But based on what's transpired to start his tenure at High-A, staying at that affiliate could be short-lived due to his incredible performance.

Eli Willits Is Tearing Up High-A

Washington Nationals prospect Eli Willits | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

At the time of writing, Willits has played four games with Wilmington. He's gone 5-for-15 with five walks drawn and another being intentional. Four of those five hits have been homers, and he's also knocked in seven runs to go along with two stolen bases and just two strikeouts.

Simply put, Willits has been sensational. He's looked every bit like a No. 1 overall pick, and now that he's in his first full season of professional baseball, it seems like the Nationals have a future superstar on their hands.

Of course, Willits will likely have some bumps and bruises at some point during this campaign. Even with the incredible numbers he put up before his promotion, he struck out 54 times in 48 games. So that will be something to keep an eye on the further he progresses up the pipeline.

But for now, it's hard not to celebrate what he's doing. There were plenty of people out there -- both in the fanbase and around the baseball world -- who were shocked by Washington's decision to draft Willits No. 1 in the 2025 draft. Then-interim general manager Mike DeBartolo was confident in the analysis put together by he and the scouting department before making that selection, though, and it looks like that risk has paid off in a major way for the Nationals.

If Willits continues this red-hot form at High-A, one can only wonder if the front office will decide to promote him up a level once again. Washington has been burned in the past when they've moved guys up the pipeline too quickly. However, it seems like this new regime has a plan in place for all of their prospects, which could prevent that from happening so often.

Regardless, what Willits has done to start his tenure with Wilmington has been nothing short of spectacular. And he keeps performing in a way that makes it seem like he'll be a star for the Nationals in The Show sooner rather than later.