Evaluator Reveals if Eli Willits Will Be Nationals' No. 1 Prospect by End of 2026
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The Washington Nationals shocked everyone when they picked Eli Willits No. 1 in the 2025 draft.
Long connected to Ethan Holliday and then later breakout collegiate pitcher Kade Anderson, the fact they took fellow prep star Willits over Holliday was a surprise to get the coveted event started. But it was easy to see why the Nationals went down that route.
Not only does Willits have legitimate two-way superstar potential as both a hitter and fielder at the shortstop position, but the fact he's just 17 years old and comes from a major league family is something that raises his floor.
Unsurprisingly, he vaulted into Washington's top spot when it came to their pipeline rankings. And that also came with being ranked No. 15 overall in the spot, per MLB Pipeline. But is that going to be the case following the 2026 campaign? Sam Dykstra of MLB.com gave his thoughts on who will be the Nationals' top prospect when that time comes.
Eli Willits Still Predicted to Be Ranked No. 1 in Nationals' Farm System
"This year's No. 1 overall pick will still only be 18 years old for the duration of his first full season. If the Nats can get Willits to show a little more pop in '26, it would go a long way toward cementing his place as a future face of the franchise," the evaluator stated when predicting Willits would remain No. 1.
Very few should be surprised by that proclamation. Willits was sensational right out of the gate when he got his professional career started, as he recorded a three-hit game in his first professional contest and had nine games in a row with a hit to get things underway.
Adding pop will determine if Willits can become the face of the franchise Washington is hoping for out of this pick. He already has incredible bat-to-ball skills and is an advanced hitter, but being able to put the ball over the fence will separate him from being a good or great player.
Your first look at Eli Willits in the Curly W👀! pic.twitter.com/5JpnSF8ccl
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) August 6, 2025
Having him develop under this new regime is also a major plus. With the overhaul the Nationals underwent this offseason when it comes to their entire baseball organization, the talented youngster is going to be set up for major success.
That bodes well for what he can become, and as he gets ready to start the 2026 campaign at the Single-A level barring something unforeseen taking place, it will be interesting to see how quickly Willits is pushed up the pipeline if he's excelling along the way.
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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