Latest news with #Nationals
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB Draft: Top pick Eli Willits, 17, to build power with Nationals
July 14 (UPI) -- Switch-hitting shortstop Eli Willits is lauded as exceedingly polished at the plate, but the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft says he plans to improve as a power hitter while with the Washington Nationals. Willits spoke about his desire to improve in that area Sunday, moments after the Nationals made him the youngest No. 1 overall pick in an MLB Draft since Ken Griffey Jr. in 1987. The move to select the 17-year-old infielder from Broxton High School in Fort Cobb, Okla., that early was a bit of a shock, as experts expected either shortstop Ethan Holliday or pitcher Kade Anderson to be the first player picked. Advertisement "I'm just a player that's going to go out there and give everything I've got, just like everyone else," Willits said on the MLB Network broadcast from Atlanta. "I feel like I have a good hit ability and I'm going to take that to the next level. I feel like my power is up and coming, but I needed to get into an organization like the Nationals that can help develop that and take that to the next level." The 6-foot-1, 180-pound infielder previously committed to Oklahoma, but now will likely be headed into the Nationals' minor league system. He hit .471 with 14 doubles, a triple, eight home runs, 34 RBIs, 27 walks, 47 stolen bases and 56 runs last season, when he struck out only four times. Advertisement "I'm just excited and thankful for the Nationals organization for giving me this chance," Willits said. "I want to thank God for everything, but at the end of the day I'm just ready to get out there and get to work." The Nationals made Willits the top pick about a week after they fired longtime general manager Mike Rizzo and Dave Martinez. Interim general manager Mike DeBartolo DeBartolo, who said he was "empowered" by ownership to make draft and trade deadline decisions, called Willits the Nationals' "top guy throughout the process." "We couldn't be more excited," DeBartolo said. "Eli, he's special player. Great hit tool, makes contact, controls the strike zone. We love his swing, switch hitter, just a clean operation at the plate, with developing power, impact at the plate then just an elite shortstop. Somebody who stays at shortstop, somebody with great range, smooth hands, great arm, accurate. You add on top of that, intangibles, confidence, work ethic and maturity that's off the charts. Advertisement "You put all that together. It's rare to get somebody that is the best hitter in the draft and best fielder in the draft. We just felt that was an opportunity we couldn't pass up." The Los Angeles Angels selected former UC Santa Barbara right-handed pitcher Tyler Bremner at No. 2 overall. Anderson, a left-handed pitcher out of LSU, landed with the Seattle Mariners at No. 3. The Colorado Rockies snagged Holliday, a third baseman from Stillwater High School in Stillwater, Okla., at No. 4. Tennessee left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle went to the St. Louis Cardinals at No. 5. Right-handed pitcher Seth Hernandez (Pittsburgh Pirates), shortstop Aiva Arquette (Miami Marlins), shortstop JoJo Parker (Toronto Blue Jays), shortstop Steele Hall (Cincinnati Reds) and shortstop Billy Carlson (Chicago White Sox) rounded out the Top 10 picks. All Day 1 selections can be found here. Rounds 4 through 20 of the 2025 MLB Draft will air at 11:30 a.m. EDT Monday on and
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
All about upside as Nationals stock up at the MLB draft
This Washington Nationals draft will ultimately be judged by the performance of top pick Eli Willits. It's what happens when a team has the No. 1 overall selection, and the Nationals used it Sunday night on the 17-year-old high school shortstop from Oklahoma. But that pick does not exist in a vacuum. In all likelihood, the selection of Willits — which will see the shortstop sign for less than the expected value of a No. 1 pick, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations who spoke on the condition of anonymity — allowed the Nationals to take several high-upside swings with their remaining 19 picks, 17 of which were made Monday as the draft wrapped up.
Indianapolis Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
MLB Draft: Brebeuf grad, Butler OF Jack Moroknek selected by Washington Nationals
Butler outfielder Jack Moroknek knew he'd have a tough decision to make ahead of the 2025 MLB Draft, now the clock has officially started ticking. The Washington Nationals selected the Brebeuf Jesuit grad and Carmel native with the 321st pick (11th round) during Day 2 of the MLB Draft Monday. Welcome to the @Nationals, Jack!With the 321st pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the Nats select OF Jack Moroknek from Butler. Moroknek used a breakout redshirt junior campaign to catapult on MLB scout's radars. The lefty led the Bulldogs in hits (81), batting average (.372), total bases (153), RBIs (57), home runs (18), runs scored (57), slugging percentage (.702) and OPS (1.145). The 153 total bases set a school record, and he was a Second Team All-Big East selection. The 6-foot-3 outfielder projects as a corner outfielder with plus power at the next level. Moroknek also became a hot commodity in the transfer portal, choosing to transfer to powerhouse Texas in the SEC. He now has two weeks to negotiate a contract with the Nationals or honor his commitment to Texas. "It's hard going back and forth with these decisions because there's not a bad option," Moroknek said last week ahead of the draft. Last year's 321st pick, Jon Jon Gazdar, a shortstop out of Austin Peay signed for $250k. There are no slot value restrictions after the 10th round, so MLB teams are free to disburse bonus pool money however they'd like. Last year's 322nd pick, prep righty Trey Gregory-Alford signed with the Los Angeles Angels for a record $1.96 million.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
MLB Home Run Derby Betting Odds, Best Bets: Prediction, Best Value Plays
Oddsmakers see Seattle's Cal Raleigh as the favorite in the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby, which begins tonight at 8 p.m. ET. Oddsmakers see Seattle's Cal Raleigh as the favorite in the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby, which begins tonight at 8 p.m. ET. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Whether you're a diehard baseball fan who has been locked in since March or a casual, the annual MLB Home Run Derby is always worth checking out. The eight-man field for the 2025 derby -- which takes place tonight at Truist Park in Atlanta -- features several interesting storylines. The intrigue starts with Mariners star Cal Raleigh, who nearly broke Barry Bonds' longstanding record for most home runs in the first half of an MLB season. Will Raleigh be as effective in this competition as he's been all season? The odds for both Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz and 22-year-old Nationals left fielder James Wood are 4-to-1 or shorter at most sportsbooks, which tells you that we're looking at a wide-open competition. How To Watch MLB Home Run Derby Start time: 8 p.m. ET TV: ESPN/ESPN2 MLB Home Run Derby Betting Odds Below are the odds (as of Monday afternoon) from FanDuel, DraftKings and bet365 for the eight participants: Player (HRs, rank) FD DK bet365 Cal Raleigh (38, 1st) +300 +295 +275 Oneil Cruz (16, 43rd) +310 +330 +300 James Wood (24, 8th) +370 +450 +400 Byron Buxton (21, 12th) +850 +950 +800 Matt Olson (17, 31st) +950 +800 +900 Junior Caminero (23, 10th) +1000 +1200 +1200 Brent Rooker (20, 17th) +1000 +850 +1000 Jazz Chisholm (17, 31st) +1500 +1100 +1500 Raleigh's status as the favorite is more than justified given his historic campaign thus far. He finished the first half of this season with the second-most pre-All Star break homers (38) in MLB history, behind only Bonds' 39 in 2001. Bonds, of course, finished 2001 with 73 dingers, which still stands as MLB's single-season record (and the only 60-plus home run season since '01 was Aaron Judge's 62-homer effort in 2022). Oddsmakers expect a hard-fought battle between Raleigh, Cruz and Wood. But keep in mind that last year, Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández won the HR Derby despite entering as one of the biggest betting longshots. Best Home Run Derby Value Bet: J. Wood Best odds: +450 at DraftKings In just his second season in the majors, Wood has broken out for the Nationals. He's currently top-10 in MLB in both HRs and RBI (tied-8th with 69), and he's a popular pick for a number of reasons. For one thing, Wood's pitcher tonight will be Nationals third-base coach Ricky Gutierrez. Partnering with an experienced coach like Gutierrez could give Wood a leg up on the likes of Raleigh, whose father will be pitching, and Chisholm, whose stepfather will be on the mound. It's also worth noting that in a tough-to-predict competition like this, line-shopping is essential. The current format of the derby -- which rewards stamina/conditioning as much as pure slugging power -- makes finding value by comparing odds across a variety of sportsbooks even more helpful. Wood being available at +450 at DK (compared to +370 at FD and +400 at bet365) is a big part of what makes him tempting here. Best Home Run Derby Longshot Bet: M. Olson Best odds: +950 at FanDuel Looking further down the board, one high-upside option with a unique advantage in tonight's competition is 31-year-old Braves 1B Matt Olson. Tonight will be a good test of how much weight we should put in a hitter's familiarity with the ballpark. Olson knows Truist Park better than anyone in tonight's field after joining the Braves back in 2022. Of Olson's 17 homers on the season, he's hit nine in 174 at bats at home, compared to eight in 185 road ABs. He also boasts a better batting average (.270 at home, .254 away), slugging percentage (.483 at home, .454 away) and OPS (.835 at home, .825 away) at Truist Park than on the road. While there's (obviously) no guarantee those numbers will translate to a strong showing in the Derby, Olson's homefield advantage at least makes him a tempting longshot at nearly 10-to-1 odds. Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.
Bangkok Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- Bangkok Post
Nationals make 17-year-old Willits youngest No.1 in MLB Draft history
WASHINGTON - Eli Willits, a 17-year-old US high school shortstop, was selected by the Washington Nationals with the first overall pick in Sunday's Major League Baseball Draft at Atlanta. The switch-hitting teen from Oklahoma's Fort Cobb-Broxton High School became the youngest-ever number one overall selection in the MLB Draft. "I'm just excited and thankful for the Nationals organization for giving me this chance," Willits said. "I'm just ready to get out there and get to work." The move came only a week after the Nationals, who have not made the playoffs since winning the 2019 World Series, fired general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez with assistant general manager Mike DeBartolo named the interim general manager and bench coach Miguel Cairo promoted to interim manager. Willits, whose father Reggie played parts of six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels from 2006-11, was the youngest prospect in the draft. The Angels took right-handed pitcher Tyler Bremner from the University of California at Santa Barbara with the second pick. Seattle went third and took left-handed pitcher Kade Anderson, chosen the Most Outstanding Player of the College World Series for champion Louisiana State University.
