The Washington Nationals have selected shortstop Eli Willits first overall in the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft. Willits is only 17 years of age as he was born in Fort Cobb, Oklahoma on December 9, 2007. This past season Willits played for Fort Cobb-Broxton High School.
Third youngest player to be selected first overall
Willits was only younger than Tim Foli of Culver City, California and Ken Griffey Jr. of Donora, Pennsylvania. Willits’s precise age on Sunday when he was drafted first overall was 17 years and 216 days old. Foli was drafted by the New York Mets first overall in the 1968 MLB Amateur Draft out of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California at the age of 17 years and 180 days old. Griffey Jr. was drafted by the Seattle Mariners first overall in the 1987 MLB Amateur Draft out of Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati, Ohio at the age of 17 years and 193 days old. Griffey Jr. was a Hall of Fame outfielder who was an American League Most Valuable Player in 1997. Interestingly, Foli played for the Montreal Expos in his career. That was the franchise that ended up moving to Washington in 2005.
Father played in the Majors
Eli Willits’s father Reggie Willits was an outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels from 2006 to 2011. The native of Chickasha, Oklahoma batted .258 with zero home runs and 58 runs batted in. During 414 games, 844 at bats, and 1014 plate appearances, Reggie Willits scored 146 runs and had 218 hits, 35 doubles, one triple, 40 stolen bases, 129 walks, 255 total bases, 29 sacrifice bunts, eight sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of ,356, and a slugging percentage of .302. Reggie Willits was best known for his lack of power. The fact he had zero home runs in six Major League Baseball seasons was stunning. Reggie Willits went on to be the first base coach for the New York Yankees for four seasons from 2018 to 2021. Eli’s father was named after Yankees legend Reggie Jackson.
Eli Willits’s statistics
This past season at Fort Cobb-Broxton High School, Willits batted .516 with nine home runs, 33 runs batted in, and 48 stolen bases. He also played for the United States Baseball Under 18 Team, and the switch hitter had intended to play next season at the University of Oklahoma.
When was the last time the Nationals had the first overall pick?
Tbe last time Washington had the first overall pick was in 2010. They selected outfielder Bryce Harper of Las Vegas, Nevada out of the College of Southern Nevada.
