Washington Nationals Take 17yr Old Eli Willits With No. 1 Pick

Summary:

• Eli Willits was selected first overall by the Washington Nationals, now led by interim general manager Mike DeBartolo.
• The side fired longtime GM Mike Rizzo just days before the draft, signaling a period of uncertainty.
• The 17-year-old shortstop, who is Reggie Willits son, has been chosen to help the team retrieve its competitive edge.

The Washington Nationals took advantage of their first overall pick in the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft to select 17-year-old shortstop Eli Willits. The decision signals a new direction for the franchise that is currently going through a series of changes.

Fresh out of Fort Cobb-Broxton High School in Oklahoma, Willits has baseball in his veins, as his father, Reggie Willits, played outfield for the Los Angeles Angels from 2006 to 2011.

Interim GM DeBartolo Made the Pick

What makes this pick stand out even more is that an interim general manager made it. Mike DeBartolo, who stepped into the role after longtime GM Mike Rizzo was suddenly fired last week, now has the tough job of leading the team’s rebuild.

MLB teams don’t commonly fire their general managers just days before such vital decisions. Usually, these types of leadership changes happen once the season or trade deadlines have passed, to allow the new managers to plan accordingly.

Instead, the Nationals cut ties with Rizzo mere days before the draft, creating uncertainty. DeBartolo, who was Rizzo’s assistant, now finds himself in charge during a rocky transition, with his own future still unclear.

High Hopes for Willits

The Nationals won the top draft pick through the lottery, with a 10.2% chance, and have over $11 million in slot money to sign Willits. The hope is that this young shortstop will become a key piece for a team that has struggled to rebuild after years of draft misses and missed opportunities.

During Rizzo’s decade at the helm, the Nationals saw many first-round picks fail to develop as hoped, and players like Carter Kieboom, Seth Romero, and Cade Cavalli serve as examples.

Even their recent top pick, Dylan Crews, has yet to make an impact. While letting go of stars like Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon, Trea Turner, and Juan Soto was painful, the Nationals’ bigger problem has been their inability to consistently draft well and develop young talent.

To his credit, Rizzo did have some big wins early in his tenure. He took over after back-to-back 100-loss seasons and helped turn things around by landing cornerstone players like Harper and Stephen Strasburg.

The 64-year-old, who switched to coaching and scouting following a short career as a minor league baseball player, also made some bold trades that led to the Nationals’ 2019 World Series win.

However, things took a downturn after that peak. The team started to struggle with draft picks and fell behind other organizations when it came to developing players and embracing modern analytics.

Now, with the Nationals at the bottom of the NL East and their farm system running dry, everyone’s looking to Willits as a key part of the team’s future.

If he lives up to the hype, he could be the first major draft win for Washington since Lucas Giolito in 2012. For a team desperate to turn things around, the pressure is on, both for the young shortstop and the new leadership trying to rebuild the franchise.