There’s a bit of a connection between the state of Utah and the top pick in the 2025 MLB draft.
On Sunday, the Washington Nationals selected shortstop Eli Willits with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
He’s the third-youngest player in history to be taken with the first overall selection, according to MLB.com, at 17 years, 216 days.
Willits is also the youngest top pick since Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. went first in 1987.
Willits has a familiar last name for those with extensive knowledge of the Utah minor league baseball scene.
His father, Reggie Willits, was a seventh-round pick by the then-Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2003 and played several seasons in the Angels minor league system, as well as more than 400 games for the parent club at the MLB level over six seasons.
Reggie Willits played his first pro season with the Rookie League Provo Angels, where he hit .300 and had 27 RBI and five home runs over 59 games for the Utah County squad, per MiLB.com.
Following a season at the Class A-Advanced level and another in Double-AA ball, Willits moved up to Triple-A in 2006 with the Salt Lake Bees. He also made his MLB debut that season.
Over the next six years, the left fielder played extensively both for the Bees and the Angels, with a handful of rehab sessions at the Class A-Advanced level.
In addition to his 400-plus games for the Angels, Willits played 234 games over six years for the Bees. His best season in Salt Lake City came in 2006, when he hit .327 and had three home runs and 31 stolen bases, according to MiLB.com.
Willits ended his MLB career with the Angels with a .258 batting average, 58 RBI and 40 stolen bases.
Now, his son Eli Willits will have the chance to follow in his father’s footsteps — and perhaps exceed them.
“The son of former big leaguer Reggie Willits, Eli has a ton of upside, with some scouts thinking he could very well be the best player in this class when we look back at it. He has a high baseball IQ, can stick at shortstop and can go run and get it in center field if need be,” MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo wrote in assessing the top overall pick in this year’s draft.
