Nationals Take Long-Term Prospects on Day 1 of 2025 MLB Draft

There was a lot of speculation about what the Washington Nationals were going to do with the first overall pick in the 2025 MLB draft.

Ethan Holliday, the son of multi-time All-Star Matt Holliday and the younger brother of Baltimore Orioles former No. 1 pick Jackson Holliday, was seen as a shoe-in for many months to be taken first.

Then, with a clear need for organizational pitching, the Nationals were projected to take LSU ace Kade Anderson.

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Washington did neither, delivering a shocker by taking high school shorstop Eli Willits.

He was the first of three Day 1 picks for the Nationals in the 2025 MLB draft, with these players all getting selected.

No. 1 - Eli Willits, Oklahoma (HS)

At 17 years old, he's the third-youngest first overall pick to ever be selected in the MLB draft, a signal that suggests there is still going to be more rebuilding on the horizon for Washington.

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However, despite the shock, there is plenty to like about Willits, with the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder coming from a baseball family and possessing an elite hit tool that is beyond his age as a switch-hitter.

He is lauded as having a high motor, using his plus athleticism and strong arm in ways that suggest he could become a five-tool player if power develops into his swing.

No. 49 - Ethan Petry, South Carolina

This was an interesting selection because Petry played outfield in college.

Already with James Wood, Jacob Young, Dylan Crews, Robert Hassell III and Daylen Lile in the mix at the big league level and Triple-A, selecting another outfielder this high in the draft certainly raised some eyebrows, especially because this pick was seen as a bit of a reach.

But Petry has massive power, hitting 23 long balls his freshman season before blasting 21 the following year before hitting 10 in 44 games until he suffered a sprained left shoulder that limited him to just one contest after April.

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At 6-foot-4, he is another big body who can hit the ball over the fence, and scouts believe he'll eventually switch to first base, which would be a huge plus for the Nationals.

No. 80 - Landon Harmon, Mississippi (HS)

Washington finally got their pitcher, and based on projections, this was a steal.

Harmon is a 6-foot-5, 190-pound right-hander who already sits at 93-96 mph with his fastball at just 18 years old. He pairs that with two variations of a slider -- the new-age sweeper and more of the traditional sharp slider -- that keeps hitters off his heater.

He projects to be a frontline starter in the bigs at some point in his career, but the question is when that is going to be.

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