Nationals Top Prospect Eli Willits Leads Playoff Run for Single-A Affiliate

All eyes will be on Willits as he looks to continue his impressive start to his pro career. In his first 15 games, the shortstop is hitting .300 with a .757 OPS, a double, triple, five RBIs and two stolen bases.

He has made his presence felt in every aspect of the game, showing off the plus hit tool that made him such an impressive prospect. Not only that, but he has wreaked havoc on the base paths in such a short amount of time.

One of the more impressive stats of Willits' young career is his plate discipline. He has an impressive .397 on-base percentage thanks in part to his seven walks compared to just 12 strikeouts through 58 plate appearances. He is already showing a more advanced approach than expected for someone his age.

Willits got off to a bang in game one, smoking a double and walking in his first two plate appearances.

Luke Dickerson is the Nationals fourth-ranked prospect. Another shortstop, Dickerson sports above average power and plus speed, but given the presence of Willits, he's likely not long for the shortstop position.

The 20-year-old made his pro debut this season and has gotten off to a rocky start. Between Rookie ball and Single-A, Dickerson is hitting .208 with 14 doubles, two triples and six home runs. He used his speed to swipe 22 bags in the regular season.

A second round pick, Dickerson was highly touted in the 2024 draft and even got the "largest bonus after the first round in the bonus pool era," according to MLB Pipeline.

Another 2025 draftee, Ethan Petry, will lead Fredericksburg from the middle of the order. The slugger is the No. 8 prospect in the system and he's gotten off to a great start to his career.

After hitting 54 home runs in his three years of college, Petry has already hit two home runs and driven in 10 on his way to slashing .287/.386/.414 with a .800 OPS. A true slugger, Petry could make his way through the system quickly should he keep his power intact. Washington will need a power hitting first baseman in the post Josh Bell era.

Finally, another infielder, Angel Feliz, could catch the eye of some moving forward. The 18-year-old is 6-foot-3, 185 pounds and has plenty of room to fill out. He's still a young player and only just made his Single-A debut this season.

In the Dominican Summer League last season, Feliz posted an OPS of .849 and stole 27 bases. He has struggled more this year, posting a .708 OPS in 84 games, but had four home runs and 15 stolen bases, so he's continuing to do what made him stand out in the DSL.

Single-A is full of players with lots of talent that may not be refined just yet. Washington fans should keep a close eye on this series to look at what they have coming up through the system, as at least a couple of these players will be part of the next good Nationals teams.

All eyes will be on Willits, though, as the 17-year-old plays the most high stress baseball he's played yet.