What can Nationals fans expect from the former top 50 prospect who has fallen on hard times
When the Nationals traded Juan Soto in 2022, Robert Hassell III was one of the big pieces coming to DC. However, the last couple of years have not gone according to plan for the young left handed outfielder. Between injury, and ineffectiveness, Hassell’s stock has dipped a lot over the years. However, a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League gives the 23 year old momentum he has not had in a while.
Ever since coming to the Nats organization, Hassell’s once highly touted hitting ability has seemingly vanished. In 2022, Hassell was not great after the trade. However, it was a small sample size, and adapting to a new organization can take time.
The first real sign of trouble was in the 2022 Arizona Fall League, where he broke his hamate. While Hassell never had plus power, the hamate injury sapped a lot of the power he did have. He now has well below average power. Hassell has struggled mightily at the plate the last two seasons, with a .646 OPS the last two years.
Hassell remains a good athlete, who has a good glove in the outfield, and can play all three outfield positions. He also improved his Double-A performances in 2024, with a .728 OPS, before a dismal stretch in Triple-A ruined his season stats.
However, in this years Arizona Fall League, Hassell looked a lot better at the plate. Most notably, he was doing more damage, rather than just fighting to put the ball in play. He hit four home runs and drove in 19 in 100 at bats. To put that in perspective, in his 362 Minor League at bats this season, he only hit five home runs and drove in 28. If Hassell can start driving the ball more, it could get him back on track, but we need to see it at the Triple-A level first.
At this point, it is probably time to readjust our expectations for Hassell. As painful as it is to admit, he is probably not going to be the player Nats fans imagined when we got him from San Diego. However, he can still be an effective big leaguer. He has the speed and defense to take up a fourth outfield role. Hassell also has experience playing both in centerfield, and in the corners, which is an added positive.
If Hassell hits in Triple-A, he can be a big leaguer some time this season. If Hassell puts it together, he can impact the team in some similar ways as Michael A Taylor did. Taylor had more power, and Hassell has less swing and miss, but think of that fourth outfield, or spot starter role that Taylor played for a number of years. MLB Pipeline has Hassell ranked as the 13th best Nats prospect, so the shine on his star has dampened. However, he can still be an effective role player at the big league level, even if he never lives up to the hype he had when the Nats acquired him.