Eli Willits vs Ethan Holliday: Early Analysis

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Back in July, Nationals fans and analysts were locked in debate over who Washington should select with the first overall pick. The discussion largely centered around Ethan Holliday and Kade Anderson, although Eli Willits had a smaller, passionate following. Ultimately, it was Willits who heard his name called.

While some embraced the move, others in the Nationals community were outraged, particularly critics who misunderstood how the MLB Draft bonus pool works, framing the decision as ownership simply cutting costs. Now that we’re a few months removed from the chaos of draft week, let’s revisit the Nationals’ decision to choose Willits over Holliday.

I was in the Willits camp myself, but this isn’t about declaring winners and losers yet. That will take years to determine. Instead, I want to highlight the key debates surrounding Willits vs. Holliday on draft night and examine how those narratives look now.