The Washington Nationals are an organization that is focused on the future above all else, specifically when it comes to their top prospects. Back in 2025, the organization had the top overall pick in the draft, and made a selection that at the time that was met with some criticism from a lot of fans.
Primarily, that criticism stemmed from the fact that the fans wanted the flashier name in Ethan Holliday, the youngest son of former big leaguer and multi-time All-Star Matt Holliday, but the Nationals instead chose Eli Willits. Some fans even were upset with the Nationals and attempted to use the narrative that the team was being cheap by selecting Willits over Holliday.
While Willits did sign for less than Holliday did, it was more so due to the fact the organization was able to sign a very deep class as a whole, and the fact that they believed they got the best player at the position in the draft. Many organizations also had Willits above Holliday, but of course, many fans did not want to see it that way.
However, with the season just around the corner from kicking off, MLB Pipeline is beginning to roll out their Top 10 rankings at multiple positions, and the most stacked position in the league as of now in the prospect world is the shortstop position. On Wednesday, they released their shortstop rankings, and where Willits landed on the list will probably surprise people, specifically the doubters, for a couple reasons.
For anyone that wondered about the small sample sizes that both Willits and Holliday both displayed last year in their first adjustment to pro ball, Willits came in as the 8th-ranked shortstop prospect in the league, while Holliday came in at No. 10 overall. It's also important to note that, despite having only just turned 18-years-old last month, Willits was given an earlier arrival year to the majors than Holliday.
Obviously, both players have a very long way to go, but the fact that from what they've seen from both players so far Willits was given an ETA of 2028 while Holliday is listed as 2029 and Willits was ranked higher, it seems as if the doubters are a little bit behind to begin their careers. Both players are probably going to be very hyped prospects in the near future, as many of the top shortstop prospects in front of them should reach the majors this season, and hopefully Willits can live up to his lofty Francisco Lindor comparison.
Where do you think Eli Willits should be ranked among the league's top shortstop prospects? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.