Dynasty: Eli Willits. The FanRanked staff dynasty board has Willits ahead, Willits #56 and Hernandez #124, but the expert consensus has Hernandez ahead (#84 to #129). The community agrees too, FRV 58.5 to 54.1.
JD on Eli Willits (Nov 2, 2026): I was down on Eli Willits for so long and was probably too late to adjust to the performance he was putting up in the minors this year. After seeing what he did in 2026, I think the Nationals have a budding star on their hands. Willits hadn't even had his 18th birthday yet when the Nationals took him first overall in 2025 and handed him $8.2 million. However, the slot value for this pick was $11 million, meaning he took a nearly $3 million haircut. I think that poisoned my mind into thinking he was a budget pick that didn't necessarily have the ceiling of other guys in his draft like Ethan Holliday, Kade Anderson, or Seth Hernandez. Rather than looking like Tim Beckham 2.0, Willits has more or less exploded onto the scene, hitting for much more power than I originally expected and being a lot more physical than he was projected to be coming into the draft. Even discounting the 62 stolen bases in 2026, as minor league stolen bases don't tell me anything about a prospect other than how aggressive they are in the minors, he still ran a 17.7% walk rate with only a 21% K rate and slugged 14 home runs as an 18-year-old across three levels. He has an outside chance of hitting the big league roster in 2027, but more than likely will need another year of development, where we should see his power continue to blossom with him knocking down the door of the big leagues in 2028 as one of the most hyped prospects in the minors.
JD on Seth Hernandez (Jun 22, 2026): I have a rule, and you're going to see it proliferate across these rankings: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A PITCHING PROSPECT I don't literally mean that pitching prospects don't exist but I do mean that for dynasty fantasy baseball purposes you can never rely on a pitching prospect to replicate their success like they did at the minor league level. Guys like Konnor Griffin and Kevin McGonigle will come to the big leagues and you can usually rely on them to provide some level of performance even if they don't hit the ground running. This means that their value is going to hold up for a long time while they get their feet under them. You'll still be able to find willing trade partners who believe in their breakout even if they spin their wheels for 100+ games. I don't find this to be the case with pitching prospects. People are quick to devalue them considerably as soon as you see any hiccup or injury or step back at the big league level. Two prime examples that come to mind are Forrest Whitley and Andrew Painter. Both of those guys were can't-miss pitching prospects that got caught up with injuries and lost all of their prospect shine even before they reached the big leagues (in Painter's case). Painter has gotten absolutely shelled at the big league level this year and I wasn't able to find any trade partners for him in my home league a month ago. My point being is that you should not commit all of your prospect capital to a pitcher regardless of how good he looks. Pitching, in my opinion, is for cheap upside plays that can get helium as they put together strong minor league performances. There's really only one way to go if they are top-pitching prospects and that's down. You are better off waiting for the post-type breakout with pitchers. Maybe you don't get a Paul Skenes with this method, but you can easily get a Tarik Skubal, Cristopher Sanchez-type asset without needing to invest in them in the minor leagues. What does all this mean for Seth Hernandez? He is exciting as hell and I can't wait to see him rocket through the minor leagues and get to the big league level to be a one-two punch with Skenes. He clearly has the best stuff in the minors right now and has separated himself from the rest of the pack. I have no shares of him and that is okay. For everyone who does have shares in him, I hope you get to enjoy him for many years at the big league level. That's just not a risk I'm willing to take.
Data as of . Consensus boards refresh daily; the staff board moves when it is republished.
| Metric | Eli Willits | Seth Hernandez |
|---|---|---|
| Team | WAS | PIT |
| Position | SS | SP |
| Age | 18 | 20 |
| Staff Dynasty Rank | #56 | #124 |
| Dynasty Consensus Rank | #129 | #84 |
| Redraft Consensus Rank | - | - |
| Prospect Consensus Rank | #5 | #7 |
| FRV (FanRanked Value) | 58.5 | 54.1 |
| Expert Sources | 28 | 30 |
| Dynasty Rank Range | #43–#269 | #53–#189 |
| 2027 Projected Value | -$24.7 | - |
| 2026 $ Earned | - | - |
| 2027 Projected Rank | #1810 | - |
| 30-Day Consensus Move | Down 26 spots | No move |
Price a Eli Willits-for-Seth Hernandez trade in the Dynasty Trade Calculator · compare their 2027 dollars in the Roto & Redraft Trade Analyzer