Hassell embarks on first full season in Nats' system: 'I felt great'

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Outfielder Robert Hassell III has gotten his first full season with the Nationals underway in Fredericksburg.

The Nats’ No. 2 prospect -- and MLB’s No. 31 overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline -- made his 2023 debut on Thursday with their Single-A affiliate on a rehab assignment (wrist). Hassell reached Double-A Harrisburg last year after he was acquired from the Padres in the Juan Soto blockbuster at the Trade Deadline.

In his first game with the FredNats on Thursday, Hassell went 0-for-4 with an RBI. He played his next game on Saturday with a 1-for-4 performance that included a line-drive double to right field in the seventh inning and one run scored.

“I felt great,” Hassell said of his debut on the FredNats' On Deck Pregame Show with lead broadcaster Eric Bach on Friday. “I was seeing the ball well. Obviously, no success [Thursday]. But first A-B (a lineout to left field), felt good going into the game, felt good during BP. But the main thing for me has just been making sure my wrist has been feeling good, and that’s all good. I feel confident that I’m going to hit the baseball. Just making sure health is wealth, and then going from there.”

Hassell was scheduled to play his anticipated first game on Wednesday, but he experienced travel delays en route to the road game in Fayetteville, N.C. Instead, he was a spectator for the night.

“I got to Charlotte … then got delayed, there was an engine issue on the plane when we were about to take off,” Hassell told Bach. “... We landed here and there was one flight crew on shift, I guess, so they were a little bit behind. That took an hour. I got here about six [o’clock], got out on the field before first pitch, but obviously didn’t have enough time to prepare and play. But [I] got to watch the game, so it ended up working out.”

Hassell entered this season as part of a deep group of top prospect outfielders in the Nationals’ Minor League system, which includes the club’s No. 1 prospect James Wood (MLB No. 15), No. 3 Elijah Green (MLB No. 40), No. 7 Cristhian Vaquero and No. 8 Jeremy De La Rosa. Hassell started in center field on Thursday and right field on Saturday. His goal is the same wherever he plays.

“I’ve definitely helped, I think, my teams every year so far, and that’s kind of how it’s been my whole life,” Hassell, 21, said during Spring Training. “My dad and my mom really pushed me a lot to help a team. They never wanted to drive hours and hours to all these baseball tournaments if I wasn’t going to do good. So I have those high expectations on myself, and I think I can deliver from all sides of the field defensively, offensively and being a good teammate and being a good leader. I think that’s kind of what I’ve gotten from my career so far.”

Last year, Hassell slashed a combined .273/.357/.407 with a .764 OPS across Single-A (Padres and Nationals) and Double-A (Nationals). His participation in the Arizona Fall League was cut short by surgery on a broken hamate in his right hand. This season, Hassell is pursuing a continuous goal he sets for himself: to hit .300. A strong batting average reflects consistency to him. Hassell made adjustments this offseason to help reach that objective.

“I’ve always kind of been naturally more of a handsy type of hitter in high school and before,” he said during camp. “As I’ve gotten into pro ball, I’ve had to learn more and more to get into my legs. … I think that is going to be the biggest thing that’s going to unlock more of my power -- I’ve got plenty of it, all fields. But I’m more confident right now left side of the field. So I’m trying to unlock some more right side of the field with staying into my legs.”

MLB Pipeline projects Hassell, the eighth overall pick in the 2020 Draft, to make his Major League debut in 2024.

“I want it to be as soon as possible,” Hassell said in February. “But obviously it’s up to me -- I’ve got to put in the work, I’ve got to perform. This is going to be my third year now in the Minor Leagues, and so I’m ready to do whatever I can do to get up there.”