Eli Willits - Prospect Profile

Kiley McDaniel - ESPN - July 8th: "Willits is younger, faster and a better defender than McGonigle at the same point, so there's even more here. Willits' upside is becoming one of the better hitters for average and on-base in the majors, with 20/20 potential as a shortstop -- still not the face of the sport but one of the top 20 players in the league."

MLB.com - July 1st: "A switch-hitter who's more proficient from the left side, Willits is exceedingly polished at the plate for his age. He has outstanding bat-to-ball skills, making consistent line-drive contact while rarely straying from the strike zone."

Keith Law - The Athletic - July 1st: "He does have room to fill out, especially in his lower half, and his contact quality should improve to the point that it can support higher batting averages, although I think he’ll top out at 45 (below-average) power. He’s a definite shortstop with soft, easy hands, a plus arm, and plus running speed, with the upside of 70 defense."

Baseball America - June 25th: "Willits is a 6-foot-1, 175-pound switch-hitting shortstop who makes an impact all over the diamond. In the batter’s box, he has short, tight and compact swings from both sides of the plate and can shoot the ball on a line to all fields. He has a balanced swing with an advanced approach, good barrel control and makes contact against all pitch types with high-quality pitch recognition and timing."

Tyler Jennings - Just Baseball - March 24th: "The son of former Angels outfielder Reggie, Eli has the chance to be a legitimate switch-hitter at the next level, as he’s shown quality polish from both sides of the plate. Both swings are compact and short to the baseball, with the right side featuring more bat speed and pop while the left has more hitter-ish traits."

Prep Baseball Draft HQ - March 19th: "He’s a twitchy switch-hitter with some of the best athleticism in the class, and Shooter Hunt said he reminded him of Anthony Volpe from back in the day. Willits is also one of the youngest prep players in the 2025 class, which always makes for a model-friendly pick in the top-15."

Carlos Collazo - Baseball America - March 10th: "He’s the youngest player we’ve taken by a decent margin—he’ll be just 17.6 on draft day—with a tremendous feel for the game and a clean swing from both sides of the plate. I think he’s a strong athlete who’s going to fill out his frame and be a solid defender at shortstop."

Keith Law - The Athletic - March 4th: "He’s a true shortstop and a switch-hitter with better bat speed and results from the left side, although his right-handed swing is fine and he may stick as a switch-hitter long term."

Kiley McDaniel - ESPN - February 21st: "Willits (son of former big leaguer Reggie) is a 6-1 shortstop with great on-base skills, but limited in-game power."

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