Robert Hassell III had an interesting year. In many ways, it was similar to the season Brady House had. Both dominated in the Minors before really struggling when they were called up to the MLB. However, because Hassell is a few years older than House, there is greater urgency for him to succeed right away.
2023 and 2024 were very difficult years for Robert Hassell III. The former top 10 pick, who was known for his natural hitting ability, really struggled to hit in the Minors. Hassell had an OPS in both seasons below .650. Hassell also struggled to stay fully healthy. A hamate injury really sidetracked him in both seasons.
However, Nats fans were full of optimism when Hassell showed up on fire during Spring Training. He was the breakthrough star in Nats camp and has really battled to win a roster spot. Hassel hit .370 in the spring and there were fans calling for him to break camp.
However, after a few rough seasons in the Minors, the Nats took the patient approach and sent him to Triple-A. After struggling in the first month of the season, Hassell came alive in May. He hit .330 with 5 home runs that month, leading to his first MLB call-up.
Hassell wasted no time in making his mark in the MLB. He got a single in his first career at-bat and was red-hot for the first few games of his career. It seemed Hassell had figured it out now that he was finally healthy.
However, the game has a way of humbling you. Hassell really struggled with that first call. For be demotedHassell’s OPS was less than .500. He became overmatched and had to be reset in AAA.
The Nationals would send him down after he really struggled in June. However, Hassell took the relegation well and worked on his game. He eliminated his toe tap and moved to a bigger leg lift. That led to better timing and more pulling power. His patience was also a lot better. In AAA, Hassel walked more than 10% of the time.
His good play earned him another promotion. Once again Hassell came out glowing. Armed with the new leg kick, Hassell was firing on all cylinders. He drew more flyouts, which led to some more extra base hits and home runs.
However, it wouldn’t last. Once again Hassell would cool down. A big reason why his bat hasn’t been durable is his high strikeout numbers and slow walk rate. Before the season, Hassell knocked out more than 30% of the time and walked less than 4% of the time.
For a guy known for his hitting prowess, the strikeout rates just aren’t high. Unlike James Wood, he doesn’t have the power to make up for those kinds of swings and misses. We saw Daylen Lile’s passing ability translate, but that wasn’t the case for Hassell. Despite hit .310 with an .839 OPS in AAA, that hitting ability did not carry over to the MLB.
Hassell played a decent midfield in defense. He posted -1 OAA, but got his overall field value at 0 because he gained value with his strong arm. The problem with Hassell is that he doesn’t have any tools to really hang his hat on. Everything is average at best across the board.
His hitting ability was supposed to be his carrying tool, but when he went to the MLB from the Minors, the hitting tool was not as advertised. With a glut of outfielders, Hassell could be the odd man out. We wrote about that at the end of the season. He has the ability to be a versatile piece in the outfield if he can make some improvements.
However, the Nationals have a lot of these potential fourth outfielder types. Between Hassell, Andrew Pinckney and Christian Franklin, there is a surplus of future fourth outfielders. Hassell has the biggest name of the three, so a trade could be possible.
Overall, this was a decent year for Hassell. He recovered his stock in the Minors and found his way to the MLB. But once he got there, he really struggled. It will be interesting to see what Paul Toboni does with Hassell.
Season class: A in the minors and D in the MLB
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