Eli Willits’ first full professional season is going about as well as anyone could have hoped.
The 2025 No. 1 overall pick has burst onto the scene, flashing electric tools and a strong baseball IQ, all while reaching Double-A Harrisburg as an 18-year-old. On Saturday, in his third game since his promotion, Willits made his first big splash with his new club, belting a three-run roundtripper as part of a four-hit performance in the Senators’ 9-3 win over New Hampshire at Delta Dental Stadium.
At just 18 years, nine months and four days old, Willits is the youngest player to collect a hit in a game at Double-A this season. He’s five months younger than MLB’s No. 1 overall prospect Jesús Made (Brewers), who has played all of 2026 at Double-A and taken his own fast track through the Minors.
Another recent fast-mover, the Orioles’ Jackson Holliday — who unprecedently flew through all four full-season Minor League levels during his first season in 2023 — was almost a full year older than Willits is currently when he debuted at Double-A (19 years, seven months, 10 days). In short, Willits is on a rocket ship through the system, and he’s among some pretty exclusive company.
COMPLETE NATIONALS PROSPECT COVERAGE
When MLB’s No. 4 prospect mashed his first Eastern League homer — a lasered line drive to right-center field off right-hander Alex Amalfi (Blue Jays) — he became just the eighth 18-year-old to go yard at Double-A since at least 2005. The group he joined is downright star-studded:
Willits (WSH, 2026)
Made (MIL, 2026)
Leo De Vries (ATH, 2025)
Sebastian Walcott (TEX, 2024)
Nelson Rada (LAA, 2024)
Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD, 2017)
Bryce Harper (WSH, 2011)
Fernando Martinez (NYM, 2007)
Like Willits, Made, De Vries and Walcott rank among MLB’s Pipeline’s top 10 prospects and are considered potential big league needle movers. Rada has had a rapid Minor League ascension in his own right and is one of the youngest players at Triple-A. Tatis and Harper went from hyped prospects to MLB superstars. Martinez, the lone outlier of the group, appeared in 99 games across five Major League seasons.
The wallop vaulted Willits into exclusive company, but it gets even better. Just four 18-year-olds have delivered four knocks in one game at Double-A since 2005 — Made, De Vries, Tatis and Willits. Now, that’s an elite quartet.
It would be unfair to call Willits a future MVP candidate just 129 games into his pro career, but from a pure tools standpoint, the potential is obvious. The son of former Major Leaguer Reggie Willits, Eli sports 60-grade hit, run and fielding tools. His arm (55) and power (50) are his weakest tools, but both are attributes that come with age and body maturity.
Along with the homer, the switch-hitting shortstop tallied two singles, a double and two steals. After batting second in each of his first two contests for Harrisburg, Willits slotted into the leadoff spot on Saturday, a placement that particularly fits his strengths — bat-to-ball ability and speed. He paces all Nationals prospects with 62 swipes — the seventh-most in the Minors — eight triples and 102 runs this season, while also ranking second in walks (95) and doubles (27).
With Harrisburg on the outside looking in for the Eastern League playoffs, Willits’ brief cup of coffee at Double-A has one game left at best. However, the impact has already been made.
Devin Fitz-Gerald — the Nationals’ No. 5 prospect — also went yard in the contest, giving him big flies in three straight games and 20 homers on the year. Earlier this season, the 21-year-old put together one of the hottest streaks in the Minors, swatting eight homers over 10 games.