Robert Hassell III hopes the third time is the charm. It’s right there in his name.

The Nationals’ No. 13 prospect is in his third Arizona Fall League campaign this autumn (this time with Salt River), each of which has come after he joined the Washington organization in the 2022 Juan Soto blockbuster deal with the Padres.

In a way, all three trips have been connected.

Hassell first headed to the Fall League in 2022 but lasted only two games with Peoria before suffering a broken right hamate bone. The 2020 eighth overall pick hasn’t quite been the same hitter since. He batted just .225 with a .640 OPS in 106 games with Double-A Harrisburg last year, prompting the Nats to give him AFL time to end the season on a brighter note. He accomplished that by hitting .290 but managed only two extra-base hits in 20 games with Scottsdale. He was off to a better start this season back with Harrisburg, hitting .278 with a 117 wRC+ over his first 49 games through June 11 before more hand issues cropped up, causing him to miss nearly two months before rehabbing with High-A Wilmington on Aug. 7.

A September promotion to Triple-A Rochester was more about introducing Hassell to the Minors’ top level than the results (.125/.188/.156 in 17 games), but the lack of the latter heightened the importance of the 23-year-old outfielder’s return to the Fall League ahead of his Rule 5 eligibility this offseason.

“The certain hand injuries that have happened, they’ve made me realize how much I've needed my hands to hit obviously,” he said. “To say that it hasn't affected the power a little bit would be crazy. I think it has. But I’m healthy now. Look, stuff’s got to click. I know I’m working hard. I feel like it’s going to come. I know I have the power. It’s in there. I just have to use it. It’s as simple as that.”

For their part, Washington officials continue to believe Hassell can be the plus hitter with at least passable power that they thought they were getting in that initial Soto swap.

“He's as good as anybody,” Nats GM Mike Rizzo told reporters in July. “This guy can hit, play defense, run the bases. He's a hitting machine when he's healthy. He hasn't been healthy fully and tried to play through it. So we're gonna get him healthy.”

It’s well known that hamate injuries sap even the most powerful prospects of some pop, so that level of patience has been important. But beyond just letting the strength return to his hands, Hassell and Nats staff have identified other adjustments he could make during his time with the Rafters.

“Watching myself on film, I do close myself off,” he said. “I don’t mean to, so I’d like to get rid of that. We -- the Triple-A coach and me -- at the end of the year talked about that, try to get that cleaned up. Other than that, not a ton. I definitely don’t want to K. The ball needs to be in play for a guy like me.”

This battle of health and alterations comes at a crucial time, not only in Hassell’s timeline but in the Nationals’ as a whole. The Major League ascensions of James Wood (another prospect acquired from the Padres for Soto) and Dylan Crews this summer were signs that Washington is prepared to turn the corner on its rebuild project and push for contention again in 2025 and beyond. They also lock down two-thirds of the club’s starting outfield spots, potentially for the long term. The clock is ticking for Hassell to claim the third spot on the grass for his own, and it could take one last ride in the desert for him to beat it.

“Now is about the time for me to kick down the door and do something about it and get to that next step,” Hassell said.

Nationals hitters in the Fall League

Cayden Wallace, 3B (No. 11): Acquired from the Royals in July in the Hunter Harvey deal, Wallace hasn’t gotten much of a chance to make a big impression on the Washington system. He was limited to 15 regular-season games by rib and oblique injuries and only posted a .431 OPS in a small 43-AB sample for Harrisburg. He has decent power when healthy, and his plus-plus arm strength makes him a solid fit at third base. The Nats have Brady House (MLB's No. 84 prospect) at the hot corner at Triple-A, but a solid Fall League could help Wallace muscle his way into the 3B conversation in his new organization.

Maxwell Romero Jr., C: A ninth-round pick in 2022 after stints at both Vanderbilt and Miami, Romero's offensive production dipped in his second full season with just a .188/.277/.347 line and a 33.1 percent strikeout rate in 82 games for High-A Wilmington. The Blue Rocks’ pitcher-friendly stadium wasn’t exactly to blame either as he posted just a .462 on the road in the South Atlantic League. That said, Romero does have some left-handed power (nine homers), and he works well behind the plate with only three passed balls all season and an above-average 26.9 percent caught-stealing rate.

Nationals pitchers in the Fall League

Matt Cronin, LHP: Cronin’s 2023 season at Triple-A was marred by back issues that eventually led to surgery, and he was designated for assignment by the Nationals last November. He remained in the organization and rebuilt his standing at High-A and Double-A this summer, posting a 1.42 ERA with 54 strikeouts and only 11 walks in 44⅓ frames. The 27-year-old didn’t flash major velo with an 89-91 mph fastball but got whiffs on his trademark mid-70s curveball as well as a 78-81 mph changeup and 77-80 mph slider.

Michael Cuevas, RHP: The 23-year-old right-hander works east-west with a 90-92 mph fastball, 79-82 mph slider and mid-80s changeup and is at his best when he’s generating a ton of ground-ball contact. He’s spent the past two years with Double-A Harrisburg and hasn’t missed many bats in that time with K rates never reaching above 17.1 percent. He sported a 5.91 ERA in 105 innings this season.

Dustin Saenz, LHP: Saenz is a classic Fall League pitcher in need of innings after throwing only 42⅔ this season, primarily with Double-A Harrisburg, where he had a rough 8.46 ERA in eight starts. The 25-year-old left-hander has typically shown good control during his time in the Minors, and he sports a full arsenal with a 90-92 mph fastball, low-80s slider, low-80s changeup and upper-70s curveball. The former Texas A&M hurler is Rule 5-eligible this offseason.

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Chase Solesky, RHP: Solesky reached as high as Triple-A in the White Sox system last year but was released in March. He moved to the independent Atlantic League for nine appearances with Hagerstown (a former Nats affiliate) and signed with Washington on June 10. He spent the entire season at Double-A, posting a 3.02 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 83⅓ innings. He didn’t elicit many whiffs (15.0 percent K rate) but has a deep arsenal with a fastball, cutter, slider, curveball and changeup.

Luke Young, RHP: The 2022 11th-rounder opened the season as a High-A starter but had a 5.14 ERA with only 55 strikeouts in his first 16 starts (77 innings). The Nats transitioned him to a relief role in Wilmington, the results took off in shorter stints (2.53 ERA, 18 strikeouts in 21⅓ frames). Young, who throws from an over-the-top delivery, earned a save in his AFL debut on Oct. 9 while showcasing a pair of 92-95 mph fastballs, a mid-80s changeup and a low-80s slider.