Eli Willits is quickly making himself at home with High-A Wilmington.
Willits -- the No. 1 pick from the 2025 Draft -- homered on Thursday to aid a 9-5 win for the Blue Rocks over Greensboro at First National Bank Field. It was already Willits’ third big fly in just three games with Wilmington, following the first multi-homer performance of his young career on Wednesday.
Willits (WSH No. 1 prospect, MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 overall) pumped Thursday’s homer in the ninth inning to provide some insurance. Extending for a pitch that might have been above the zone, he hit a towering fly ball that flew OVER the scoreboard in right-center field for a three-run shot.
The homer was Willits’ only hit of the game, but he also played a key role with a walk in the eighth inning. He flashed his 60-grade speed with a stolen base then advanced to third on a wild pitch. A Yeremy Cabrera single brought Willits home, tying the game at 5 apiece.
COMPLETE NATIONALS PROSPECT COVERAGE
The 19-year-old, switch-hitting shortstop is posting an excellent .302/.423/.535 slash line in his first full season in the Minor Leagues, tallying nine home runs and 42 RBIs in the process. He’s causing havoc on the bases, already recording 30 steals, and has walked 41 times against 57 strikeouts.
Elsewhere in the Nationals’ system, infielder Devin Fitz-Gerald (WSH No. 5, MLB No. 97) also had a milestone day Thursday, tallying his first Double-A homer after earning a promotion this week. Fitz-Gerald came over in the MacKenzie Gore trade this offseason and enters Friday second in the organization in extra-base hits (27) and home runs (13).