Amid all of the latest and greatest buzz surrounding LSU lefty Kade Anderson and his potential selection with the Washington Nationals, a little draft nugget emerged this morning with just over 24 hours to go until Draft Day. While many people still have no idea what direction the Nationals will choose to go when Rob Manfred takes the stage tomorrow to announce the pick, there is some very quiet momentum building for this prospect.
In case you are just getting caught up to my extensive draft coverage, I did put out an article the other day that laid out a potential blueprint of my personal expectations for the #1 pick tomorrow. In that article, I mentioned how the team's draft group, led by Brad Ciolek and Danny Haas, might choose to look at a pair of Oklahoma high school shortstops with their top pick over Anderson.
Some have speculated that Rizzo's preference for Anderson may have caused some friction within the team's draft room, and may have subtly played a role in the decision to fire him in a shocking decision just 1 week before this year's draft. This notion is only backed up with the latest news nugget put out by Adam Wells of Bleacher Report, who reported that Keith Law of ESPN has begun to speculate that one of the two shortstops at the top of this class might be "much more in the mix" to go to Washington than originally anticipated.
While Ethan Holliday has the larger name recognition among most fans, given that his father is Matt Holliday, who was a great MLB player for a long time and his brother, Jackson, went number 1 overall to the Orioles just a few years ago, it appears as if he might not be the pick. The focus has now shifted over to Fort Cobb-Broxton High School shortstop Eli Willits, as Law also noted that several teams have him ranked No. 1 on their draft boards.
Willits, a switch-hitting shortstop, won't even turn 18-years-old until December, and is believed to be more of a surefire shortstop at the next level, something that scouts can't say about Holliday as well. The son of former MLB outfielder Reggie Willits makes a ton of sense for the Nationals and this current draft group, as their prioritization of up-the-middle talent would make Willits a strong contender for the top pick tomorrow.
There is no doubt that Willits does not have the ultimate power upside that Holliday has, if he can prove himself to be a guy that hits 10-15 homers a year, the value he will provide with his great glove, speed, and hit tool will make him a star in this league at a premium position for a very long time. If you want my take, I have Willits at #3 on my personal draft board, right behind Holliday and Anderson, and I would even go as far to say that I would have him right next to Holliday as my preference for the top pick.
Also important to note is that the Nationals have done their homework on Willits, as they hosted him and his family for a private workout and visit to DC a little over a month ago. The thought with Willits is that the Nationals will be able to save some draft pool money by selecting him with the first pick, which they could use to sign some great high school talents later on down the draft board with some of their other top picks. The team has utilized this strategy a lot recently, as it would allow them to get more capable talents to bolster their farm system, which desperately needs this team to nail this year's draft.
Do you want Eli Willits to be the 1st pick tomorrow? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.