A Night to Remember: Eli Willits Brings No. 1 Pick Energy to Fredericksburg

FREDERICKSBURG, VA - Something felt different in Fredericksburg Thursday night. Long before the first pitch, before the lights bathed the diamond, Virginia Credit Union Stadium was already buzzing. The reason? Eli Willits, the Washington Nationals’ No. 1 overall pick in this year’s MLB Draft, was making his professional debut at just 17 years old.

Fans showed up early, lining the third‑base side to catch a glimpse of the teenager in a Fredericksburg Nationals uniform. Autographs were in high demand, and one fan described the scramble for keepsakes to me last night: “I went to the team store in hopes of getting a plain baseball to get it signed, but ended up with a Fredericksburg Nationals covered baseball in hopes of getting it signed by the first‑round pick for my grandson.”

When Wilits finally stepped onto the field, it was historic. At 17, he became the youngest player in Fredericksburg Nationals history and one of just six players his age anywhere in Minor League Baseball to earn a Single‑A at‑bat this season — sharing rare company with prospects like Andrew Salas and Brady Ebel.

But the magic wasn’t just in the fact that he was there. It was in what he did.

In his very first professional game, Wilits looked every bit the part of a top draft pick. He went 3‑for‑4 with two RBI, a stolen base, a walk, and drew a standing ovation nearly every time he came to the plate. His presence helped fuel a Fredericksburg offense that piled up a season‑high 16 hits.

The breakthrough came in the fourth inning. With two outs, Wilits shot a single through the left side of Fayetteville’s shifted infield. True to his aggressive style, he tried to stretch it into a double but was tagged out. No matter — the first hit was on the board. Then, in the eighth, what looked like a routine play at first turned into a race down the line. Wilits beat it out for his third hit of the night, showing the hustle and energy that had fans on their feet all evening.

And he wasn’t the only one making noise. Second‑round pick Ethan Petry matched Wilits with three hits and two RBI of his own, offering fans a glimpse of the Nationals’ future arriving all at once.

The crowd knew what they were watching.

"It's great to see the young players come through Fredericksburg... I was here when Brady House, Dylan Crews, and Eli Wilits is now here," one fan told the Nats Report. "It's great for Fredericksburg and also great for the city of Fredericksburg."

Longtime fan of the Fredericksburg Nationals Kyle White added: "Ever since the team came to Fredericksburg in 2021, my family and I make it to 3‑4 games a year and love seeing the new Nationals draft picks every season."

Even in the booth, the impact was clear.

"It means everything," said FredNats play‑by‑play voice Eric Bach on this week’s District Chat podcast. “When Dylan Crews debuted here two years ago, it was an absolute circus in the best way. When you get a player of that caliber that has the national notoriety that Eli Wilits certainly does when the Nats took him No. 1 overall, that can only bring positive things for us down here. And it's a team that's in the middle of the playoff race right now, so it doesn't hurt to add No. 1 overall to the lineup, for sure.”

That playoff chase only heightens the atmosphere. Fredericksburg and the Carolina Mudcats are neck‑and‑neck for first place, with a pivotal seven‑game home series looming after Labor Day.

But Thursday night wasn’t scripted. No hype package or headline could prepare the crowd for what it felt like to see a 17‑year‑old shortstop dig in, slap his first professional hit, and sprint down the line with everything to prove.

For Wilits, it was the beginning. For the Nationals, it was a glimpse of their future. And for Fredericksburg, it was the kind of night that lingers — when a city, a team, and a teenager came together under the lights to start writing something new.