Future Washington Nationals Star Gets RBI to Packed House at Age 17

Eli Willits at bat in Fredericksburg.

Baseball star Eli Willits made a stop in Fredericksburg to get the crowd in an uproar as he makes his way to the Washington Nationals sometime in the near future. At 17, he was the youngest player out there, but he had a way to get the fans involved in this game against the Fayetteville Woodpeckers on Aug. 21. It was no matter that he wears the lucky #13 jersey, many fans in Fredericksburg donned the #13 jersey too.

Willits was the very first pick in this year’s Major League Baseball draft, the third-youngest player in MLB draft history to be selected first overall. He signed with Washington for a reported $8.2 million signing bonus in July.

His first time at bat he hit it in the outfield, an easy single, but Willits tried to stretch it into a double and was thrown out at second. He went on to get his first RBI later that night and didn’t let down the packed house there in Fredericksburg. 

Making his first appearance as a professional baseball player with the Nationals' Single-A, Willits went 3-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base, a pair of RBIs and a run scored in FredNats win over Fayetteville.

His first game with the Washington Nationals looks like it will be next year.