Nationals treasure: 2025's No. 1 pick enjoying homer streak at High-A
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If there were any questions about how Eli Willits would handle his recent promotion to High-A, he's answering them emphatically.
Washington's No. 1 prospect went deep for a third consecutive game and for the fourth time this week for High-A Wilmington, which lost, 7-6, to Greensboro on Friday night at First National Bank Field.
The first four games of Willits' tenure with the Blue Rocks couldn't have gone much better. After taking an 0-fer in his High-A debut -- albeit with two walks -- MLB's No. 4 prospect has terrorized Grasshoppers pitching, going 5-for-12 with four roundtrippers and seven RBIs in his past three contests, including his first multihomer performance as a pro on Wednesday.
Willits opened the top of the first inning with a four-pitch walk Friday and swiped second, before unloading in the fifth. The 18-year-old's towering two-run jack to right field was a no-doubter the second it left his bat and gave him 10 roundtrippers on the season -- six of which have come in June. He earned another free pass in the ninth -- his 43rd walk in 51 games.
While a four-game sample should be taken with a grain of salt, it's emblematic of the run Willits has been on for nearly two months. The Oklahoma native's average dipped to .180 after a hitless performance on April 17, which also proved to be the nadir of his season to date.
Willits has hit safely in 34 of 38 games since, and perhaps even more impressively, doesn't seem overmatched despite competing against older and more experienced competition.
The switch-hitting shortstop has been a consistent force atop the lineup for both Single-A Fredericksburg and now Wilmington. Perhaps most impressive thus far has been the power production; something rarely displayed this early from someone so young.
Projected primarily with a hit-over-power profile, Willits has already racked up 27 extra-base hits and his 10 long balls are the most by an 18-year-old in full-season competition.
For a player who entered the season carrying the lofty expectations of a No. 1 pick, Willits is making them look remarkably reasonable. The son of former big leaguer Reggie Willits, who is barely a year out of high school, continues to look increasingly comfortable, turning what was once projection into production on a nightly basis.