MLB draft - Nationals take HS shortstop Eli Willits at No. 1 - ESPN

ATLANTA — The Washington Nationals, fresh off a major organizational shakeup, made a surprising selection with the No. 1 overall pick on Sunday, drafting high school shortstop Eli Willits.

The Nationals had been widely expected to take either Ethan Holliday, another high school infielder, or LSU left-hander Kade Anderson but went with Willits because they considered him «the best hitter in the draft and the best fielder in the draft,» interim general manager Mike DeBartolo said.

«It made this very easy for us.»

The Los Angeles Angels selected Tyler Bremner, a 6-foot-2 right-hander from UC Santa Barbara, with the No. 2 overall pick, which represented their first top-five pick since 1997. Anderson went to the Seattle Mariners with the No. 3 pick, while Holliday, the son of former outfielder Matt Holliday and brother of current Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday, went to the Colorado Rockies at No. 4.

Tennessee left-hander Liam Doyle went to the St. Louis Cardinals at No. 5; right-hander Seth Hernandez, the Gatorade National Player of the Year while starring for Corona High School in California, went to the Pittsburgh Pirates at No. 6; and Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette went to the Miami Marlins at No. 7.

The next three picks were high-school shortstops, highlighting a major strength of this draft: JoJo Parker (eighth to the Toronto Blue Jays), Steele Hall (ninth to the Cincinnati Reds) and Billy Carlson (10th to the Chicago White Sox).

Willits, who doesn't turn 18 until December 9, led Fort Cobb-Broxton High School in Oklahoma to its third straight state title this past season and had previously committed to Oklahoma. A 6-foot-1 switch-hitter, Willits is hailed for his bat-to-ball skills and plate