Five hours before first pitch in Wilmington on the Saturday before Father’s Day, Eli Willits sat down with me in the visiting dugout at Frawley Stadium. I was warned that the 18 year old was a very professional and serious kid. They were not wrong, but after talking to him, I gained insights into the mentality and background of the 2025 first overall pick.
If you know the Eli Willits story, you would know that Eli’s dad Reggie has been a huge part of his story. Reggie Willits is a former big leaguer himself, and has been coaching Eli and his two brothers. Eli told me that Reggie, “Has been a great baseball coach, but beyond that he has been a great dad”.
Eli Willits will never be the loudest player on the team, but his quiet ambition was crystal clear. When he discussed his decision to reclassify to the 2025 class, Willits’ explanation was simple. He told me, “At the end of the day, I want to get to the big leagues as quick as possible”. While Willits admitted the process was stressful, he shrewdly pointed out that it looks like a great decision right now.
While Willits is not one for bold proclamations, he has made it clear on multiple occasions that he wants to get to the big leagues at 20 years old. For Willits, this is not some bold proclamation, it is a perfectly reasonable goal. This season has shown us that Willits is well on his way to achieving this goal.
In 57 games across two levels, Willits is hitting .298 with a .967 OPS to go with 11 homers and 34 stolen bases. This month, the youngster has raised his game, hitting .322 with 7 homers and a 1.249 OPS. Willits did not play in the Blue Rocks game I attended after the interview, but the next day he went deep.
As a great father would, Reggie taught Eli core principals like treating people with respect and the golden rule of treating people the way you want to be treated. Off the field, Willits has blossomed into a quiet, humble young man who is guided by his faith. Teddy Roosevelt once said to speak softly and carry a big stick. I can’t help but think of that saying after speaking with the Nationals 18 year old phenom.
At least for this weekend, Eli Willits was not the brother under the national spotlight. His brother Jaxon is the starting shortstop at the University of Oklahoma, where his dad is also an assistant coach. Eli, who is a proud Oklahoman and a Sooners commit, has been watching these games very closely. Willits has been watching the Sooners run to the College World Series avidly, either watching the games or asking for scores when he can’t watch.
He told me he hoped that the Sooners would be able to win the final in Omaha in two games. Two days later, the Sooners split the first two games against North Carolina, setting up a winner take all game three tonight. With an off day, Willits will be able to watch, probably from a hotel in Frederick, Maryland, before the Blue Rocks start their series with the Frederick Keys.
For some young professionals, the grind of the minor leagues can be a shock to the system, but not for Eli. As Willits put it, “I grew up in a clubhouse”. Ever since he was a boy, he has been following his dad around big league clubhouses, something he considers one of the biggest highlights of his baseball journey. With all this exposure to the game at the highest level, there is not much that can surprise the even-keeled 18 year old.
When his dad coached with the Yankees, he got to sit next to the likes of Aaron Judge in the clubhouse. Reggie was a coach for the Yankees from 2018 to 2021, which were formative years for young Eli. He absorbed information like a sponge, eager to learn like any young baseball loving kid.
One player that Willits said impacted him a lot was Brett Gardner, who Eli still talks to even now. He said that the hard nosed, blue collar style of the former Yankees outfielder influences his own style of play. I watched Willits earlier this season in Fredericksburg, and you can certainly see the resemblance, especially on the basepaths. Just like Garnder, Eli Willits is always on the hunt for the next stolen base, which is why he has 34 already this season.
If it is not clear enough already, Eli Willits learned quite a bit from his dad. When you see Willits on the field, there is one piece of fatherly wisdom that is easy to spot. Eli Willits is a switch hitter, just like his dad and his brother. He explained that, “I’ve been switch hitting since I was one or two. Ever since I picked up a bat, I have been switch hitting”. Willits remarked that whenever he sees a nasty slider from a lefty, he is grateful that he learned to switch hit.
At the plate, Willits has been showing way more power this season, and that is no accident. When he was drafted, the biggest question with Willits was how much power he would develop. In his pro debut last year, Willits showed his contact ability, plate discipline and defense, but there was no real power to speak of.
This offseason, he worked to change that with Eric Cressey in Florida. As Willits put it, he “grinded this offseason”. You can see it when you sit next to him. The youngster is noticeably stronger and more physically mature than he was this time last year when he was on his way to being the first overall pick. That combination of grinding and growing into his body has paid big dividends in his first full pro season. The power has made Willits a true 5 tool player, and one of the best prospects in baseball.
One of the people Willits actually worked with at Cressey was Brady House. This spring, Willits got to appear in some big league Spring Training games and be around the team. He said that House was the guy who took him under his wing. Like Willits, House is a quiet, humble guy who was drafted in the first round out of high school, so the friendship only feels natural.
Willits said he follows the big league team a little bit, and loves the way they are winning ball games. However, it is clear that Willits is much more focused on keeping his eyes on the prize. Eli Willits knows he will be joining the big league club before too long because he has been preparing for that moment for a long time.
When Eli Willits makes his MLB debut, likely before his 21st birthday, it will not be an emotional surprise. Rather, it would be the culmination of a plan that he has been working on as long as he can remember. For most kids, being a big leaguer is the dream, but for Eli Willits, this was the expectation from a young age.
I went to Wilmington to track down the Nats next young star, and I came away even more convinced that Eli Willits is that guy. What I found was a humble man of god, but also a ballplayer with an intense fire burning inside of him, and a mentality that will not allow him to be denied.
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