Washington Nationals Make High School SS Eli Willits the No. 1 Overall Draft Pick

Eli Willits has a legacy to follow.

The Washington Nationals selected the shortstop from Fort Cobb-Broxton High School (Okla). with the first pick in the 2025 MLB Draft on Sunday, the third No. 1 overall pick in the history of the franchise.

He is the youngest player ever taken with the No. 1 overall pick. He will not turn 18 until December.

"I'm just a player that's gonna go out there and give everything I got, just like everyone else," Willits told MLB Network. "I feel like I can I have a good hit ability and I'm gonna take that to the next level, and I feel like my power is up and coming. But I needed to get into an organization like the Mationals that could help develop that and take that to the next level."

He joins impressive company at No. 1.

The Nationals selected pitcher Stephen Strasburg with the No. 1 pick in 2009 out of San Diego State. Before injuries forced an early retirement, Strasburg was a three-time All-Star and the Most Valuable Player of the 2019 World Series, won by the Nationals.

The power pitcher made 247 career starts for the Nationals, finishing with a 113-62 record. In 1,470 innings, he struck out 1,722 batters.

The following year, the Nationals selected Bryce Harper, who spent seven seasons in Washington before signing a free agent deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. He was a six-time All-Star and won a National League MVP award with the Nationals.

Those are lofty feats for Willits to live up to.

The Nationals, working under interim general manager Mike DeBartolo, decided he was the one.

Here’s some of what MLB Pipeline had to say about what the Nationals are getting with Willits:

“Willits comes from a baseball family, with father Reggie playing in the big leagues before coaching with the Yankees and returning to his alma mater as the associate head coach at Oklahoma -- where Eli's brother, Jaxon, is starring as a sophomore. Willits also is committed to the Sooners but is unlikely to get to Norman because he's a slam-dunk early first-rounder after reclassifying from the 2026 class. He draws some comparisons to Anthony Volpe with better physical tools at the same stage. … In three years at Fort Cobb-Broxton HS, he won six state Class B championships (three fall, three spring).

“A switch-hitter who's more proficient from the left side, Willits is exceedingly polished at the plate for his age. He has outstanding bat-to-ball skills, making consistent line-drive contact while rarely straying from the strike zone. He may never have more than average raw power, but his hitting ability should enable him to tap into most of it and provide 15 homers per season.”

The Nationals certainly will be looking for that high floor. It’s a ground they’re accustomed to with the No. 1 pick.