Willett was born in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1884. He moved to Caldwell, Kansas, in his youth.\n', '

Willett began his professional baseball career in the Western Association, playing for the Wichita Jobbers in 1905 and 1906. He compiled a 10–5 win-loss record with a 2.69 earned run average (ERA) in 16 games during the 1905 season and a 12–17 record in 38 games for Wichita in 1906. On August 27, 1906, in his final game in a Wichita uniform, Willett held Webb City to one run in 15 innings. Although he lost more games than he won in 1906, he reportedly lost a number of games on flukes and was regarded by many as the best pitcher in the Western Association.\n', '

On August 9, 1906, Willett was purchased from Wichita by the Detroit Tigers, and became the first Western Association player to make it with a major league club. Originally scheduled to remain with Wichita through the end of the 1906 season, the Tigers asked in late August that he report early. Willett made his major league debut with Detroit on September 5, 1906, pitching a five-hitter against Chicago. In the final month of the 1906 season, Willett appeared in three games, all as a starter, and compiled a 0–3 record with a 3.96 ERA.\n', '

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