Removed from hamate injury, can Hassell return to form?

PROSPECT REVIEW: ROBERT HASSELL III

Age on opening day 2024: 22

How acquired: Traded with MacKenzie Gore, CJ Abrams, James Wood, Jarlin Susana and Luke Voit from Padres for Juan Soto and Josh Bell in August 2022; originally drafted No. 8 overall by Padres in 2020 from Independence High School in Thompson’s Station, Tenn.

Ranking: No. 8 per MLB Pipeline, No. 4 per Baseball America

MLB ETA: 2024
* Projected by MLB Pipeline

Signing bonus: $4.3 million

2023 levels: Single-A Fredericksburg and Double-A Harrisburg

2023 stats: 121 G, 545 PA, 467 AB, 66 R, 103 H, 16 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 41 RBIs, 15 SB, 5 CS, 68 BB, 161 SO, .221 AVG, .324 OBP, .321 SLG, .645 OPS

Quotable: “Back to having good ABs and making them pitch. I know I can do that and work deep counts. And when they make a mistake, that's when I'm gonna get my hits. A knock and a walk, that's what me and my hitting coach here are working on. A knock and a walk. That's just the process and that makes sure that you're getting your hits, you're getting on base, but you're also working good counts. A pitcher at some point during the day is going to give you an opportunity to walk you, most days. So for the most part, that's been the thought process.” – Robert Hassell III

2023 analysis: Hassell’s season was a bit delayed due to an injury suffered at the end of last year and unfortunately he struggled to ever get going.

He missed most of last year’s Arizona Fall League with a broken hamate bone in his right hand after playing just two games. Although mostly recovered by spring training, that injury slowed his start to this season as he began his year on a rehab assignment with Fredericksburg.

In just 15 games with the FredNats, Hassell hit below the Mendoza Line with three extra-base hits and a .679 OPS. But he walked nearly twice as much as he struck out and proved that he was healthy to go back up to Double-A.

Once he joined Harrisburg, Hassell was a regular in the Senators lineup, playing all three outfield spots with most of his reps coming in center field. But his struggles at the plate continued as he failed to find the production that made him the Nats’ top prospect once he entered their system last year.

Hassell mostly struggled with his power, which he has been working to regain ever since he broke his hamate bone. He came to the Nats after hitting 21 homers over two seasons in the Padres system. But he has only hit 10 in his time with the Nationals, nine of which came this year.

Hassell isn’t known for his power. He’s scouted as being a solid all-around hitter with speed and defense. But he only hit .225 in 106 games with Harrisburg. He also struggled with Double-A pitching and its strike zone by striking out 100 times more than he walked.

But the season wasn’t all bad for the Nats’ No. 8 prospect. He finished strong by hitting .281 with a .700 OPS over 63 games in September while striking out only 16 times, his lowest total for a month in Double-A on the year.

He is currently back in the AFL, where he started 12-for-38 (.316) with a .777 OPS, a double, a homer and 10 RBIs in his first 11 games with the Scottsdale Scorpions.

2024 outlook: Hassell’s start to his career with the Nats has been disappointing, but it seems much of that can be attributed to joining a new system and injury.

He played better the further away he was removed from his broken hamate bone. As a left-handed hitter, much of his swing comes from his right hand. A strong showing in the AFL this year should calm some of his concerns and set him up for a solid campaign next year.

Hassell will always be put in the same realm as fellow outfielders Wood and Dylan Crews. So it’s easy to get frustrated to see him slip while those two rise through the ranks.

But it’s easy to forget he just turned 22, too. He may seem older than the other top prospects because he came over with the most experience and was the first to get promoted to Double-A. He and the Nats still have time to get him up to the level they think he can reach.

Will that be in 2024? That’s tough to say, especially with Wood and Crews knocking on the door. But if he can stay healthy and have an encouraging season next year, delaying his debut until 2025 isn’t a bad thing.