MLB Draft 2025: Eli Willits getting late number 1 pick buzz

We thought the Washington Nationals were choosing between Holliday and Anderson but Eli Willits appears to be in the mix as well

This draft cycle has had so many twists and turns. Number one pick contenders have come and gone. The GM has also gone. However, just as we thought the race was down to two names, it looks like a third player is in the mix. There has been some late buzz that Oklahoma high school shortstop Eli Willits could be in the mix.

While draft analysts Keith Law and Joe Doyle both had Anderson as their pick at one, both brought up the possibility of Willits. Law said that while he thought Anderson would end up being the guy, Willits was much more in play than he thought after asking around. Joe Doyle echoed a similar sentiment, saying a lot of people he talked to in the industry think Willits could be the guy.

When you think about this at first, it does not make a ton of sense. If you are going to take a high schooler from Oklahoma, why not take Ethan Holliday? At the end of the day, Holliday is who I would take, but there is some logic behind selecting Willits.

If the scouts think Willits is as good, or at least neck and neck with Holliday, it could make sense to pick him. As far as I can tell, his agent is not Scott Boras, which is a plus. Both Anderson and Holliday are repped by Boras. There are plenty of people out there that think Holliday and Willits are in the same tier as prospects, with some even preferring Willits.

Willits is a very different profile to Holliday. He is a hit over power switch hitter who plays a very good shortstop and can really run. If you want the massive power upside, Holliday is your guy, but Willits has more pure hitting ability and defensive upside, even if his offensive upside lags behind.

A lot of teams use data modeling to rank draft prospects. Brad Ciolek, who came from a model heavy Orioles organization definitely looks at stuff like that. Eli Willits is a player a data model would love. A big reason for that is his age. These models love players who are young for their class and Willits, who does not turn 18 until December is the youngest player in the draft.

He has also been a consistent performer on the showcase circuit and in high school. Willits makes a ton of contact and has that up the middle profile the Nationals coveted in last years draft. Another positive for Willits is that you could get him on a discount. With Willits not having the buzz of a Holliday or Anderson and the fact Scott Boras is not his agent, you could save a pretty penny by picking him.

That money can be spread out on players down the board. You can get players with more upside in the second to fifth rounds by taking a guy like Willits. If Brad Ciolek, Danny Haas and Mike DeBartolo think Willits is on the level of a Holliday or Anderson, he could be the guy they covet.

Willits has a lot of the traits the Nationals looked for in their first draft under Haas and Ciolek. He is almost certainly a shortstop long term and has excellent contact ability from both sides of the plate. At just 17, there is a chance he can grow into at least average power as well. Most scouts think he can get to at least 12-15 homer power, with the chance for more.

Even if he is a 12-15 homer guy, but hits .290-.300 while playing good defense, that is a very valuable player. Holliday probably has a higher ceiling and Anderson probably has a higher floor, but Willits could give the Nats the best of both worlds while being cheaper than both.

At the end of the day, Holliday and Anderson are the favorites still, but Willits is in the mix. He fits a lot of what the Nats scouting team is looking for and his value as an underslot pick will be appreciated. Buckle up because tonight is going to be a wild night that will shape the future of the Washington Nationals franchise.