Seventeen-year-old Eli Willits sat next to his parents with his hands tighter than how he grips his baseball bat. It was minutes before the pick. But in that quiet space, just before his world shifted, he wasn’t thinking about cameras or contracts. He was replaying the hours in backyard cages with his dad tossing pitch after pitch, the endless drives his mom made to ballparks across the state, and the silent prayers they all shared when this dream felt impossibly big.
Then came the moment. The Washington Nationals selected him as the No. 1 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft and thrust the quiet shortstop from Fort Cobb Broxton High (Oklahoma) into a realm of greatness previously occupied by Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg.
“It’s great. I’m just grateful for the opportunity and thankful for everything the Nats gave me,” Willits said in an interview with MLB Network Radio. “Now it’s time to get to work and hopefully bring a championship back to D.C.”
“I’m ready to get out there and get to work.”@EliWillits on being the #1 overall pick in the 2025 #MLBDraft:@Nationals | #Nationals | #NATITUDE
https://t.co/iXax8hx4iO pic.twitter.com/Up21UDKZp9
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) July 14, 2025
“A lot of thought and prayer went into this,” he shared. “It was a hard decision for me and my family. So just knowing that it’s all paid off, it feels good.”
The Nationals saw more than a high school standout with blazing speed and silky glove work at shortstop. They saw poise beyond his years. A switch-hitter with discipline at the plate and fire in his belly. A player who, even at 17, already sounds like a clubhouse leader.
And at the center of that drive? His family. They’re the reason he kept pushing, the backbone behind the bat flips and glove flashes. Ex-MLB player and his dad, Reggie Willits, played and coached at the same university as Eli’s – the University of Oklahoma. And his older brother, Jaxon Willits, plays for the Sooners. So, baseball runs in the family…
Willits knows the majors are still a few steps away. But if his draft night showed anything, it’s that his journey is powered by more than talent; it’s fueled by belief.
From Fort Cobb to D.C., the dream’s alive. And Eli Willits is just getting started.
Now, the highlight of MLB Draft 2025 was more than the No. 1 pick…
Beyond Eli Willits: Teammates shine as draft delivers double plays
You don’t often see teammates walking the draft stage within minutes of each other, but the 2025 MLB Draft flipped that script. Three different duos, some even trios, heard their names called in the top 20 picks, a rare and refreshing storyline in a night dominated by shortstops and upside. It wasn’t just about tools; it was about trust, chemistry, and shared grit.
No school made a louder statement than the University of Tennessee. Not one, not two, but three Vols, Liam Doyle (5th to the Cardinals), Gavin Kilen (13th to the Giants), and Andrew Fisher (20th to the Brewers) cracked the first round. Their rise wasn’t fueled by hype alone. It was built on months of playing side by side, pushing each other through SEC pressure, and proving they could thrive in high-stakes moments.
Over in the high school ranks, Corona High etched its name into draft history. Right-hander Seth Hernandez and shortstop Billy Carlson became the first prep teammates to both be selected in the top 10, going to the Pirates (8th) and White Sox (10th), respectively.
With teams banking on upside and familiarity, this year’s draft reminded us that when it comes to building future cores, sometimes two is better than one.
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