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.
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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.
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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.