Robert Hassell

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Robert Hassell III.webp

Robert Harris Hassell III
(Bobby Barrels)

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Biographical Information[edit]

Outfielder Robert Hassell, also known as Robert Hassell III, was the 8th player selected in the 2020 amateur draft - and the first high school player. Due to the coronavirus pandemic that stopped all amateur baseball being played in March, that draft was dominated by college players who had already managed to establish a profile before the stoppage, and putting high school players and those from smaller college programs at a distinct disadvantage. In fact, that was the lowest rank ever for the top high school pick in an amateur draft. However, Hassell had been on the radar screen for a while, as one of the top high school players in the nation even as a high school junior. He played for the United States in the 2019 U-18 Baseball World Cup, where he hit .514/.548/.886 with 14 runs and 14 RBI in 9 games (also pitching 1 2/3 shutout innings, fanning four) and was named International Player of the Year for his performance in the tournament. He joined Darryl Collins and Pete Crow-Armstrong as the tourney All-Star outfielders, but lost MVP to Chien Yu. He scored the only US run in the 2-1 loss to Taiwan in the finale. He led the event in runs (3 ahead of Ji-chan Kim), was second in hits (18, one behind Kim), tied Ruendrick Piternella for 2nd in doubles (5), tied for 1st in homers (2, even with Collins, Ju-hong Park, Junya Nishi and Owen Diodati), led in RBI (two ahead of Collins), led in total bases (31, 9 ahead of Collins), was second in average (.014 behind Kim), was 3rd in OBP (after Ryson Polonius and Ji-chan Kim) and led in slugging (.127 ahead of Collins). He batted .423 with 14 home runs as a junior and was a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year Award winner for Tennessee. He had a commitment to attend Vanderbilt University prior to the draft.

A resident of Franklin, TN, he was noticed for his sweet left-handed swing that projected him as a high-average hitter with a possibility of hitting around 20 homers per season as a major leaguer. He was a centerfielder in high school, although it was not clear if he could play the position as a pro. A well-rounded athlete, he was also a successful pitcher in high school, hitting 93 mph on the radar gun, although pitching was not considered to be part of his future as a pro. He played in the 2014 Little League World Series with the Nashville, TN team and faced the legendary Mo'ne Davis in the tournament (she pitched a shutout against his team in the preliminary round); he had also participated in the 2013 Little League World Series.

In 2021, his first season as a professional, he hit .303/.393/.470 in 110 games between the Lake Elsinore Storm and Fort Wayne Tincaps, confirming his status as a top prospect. He was named to the National League team for the 2022 Futures Game while playing in Fort Wayne, in the Midwest League. In 75 games, he hit .299 with 10 homers and 55 RBIs. He was the highest-rated prospect included by the Padres in the blockbuster deal to acquire superstar OF Juan Soto and 1B Josh Bell from the Washington Nationals at the trading deadline on August 2nd. Joining him were SS C.J. Abrams, P Mackenzie Gore, P Jarlin Susana, OF James Wood and 1B Luke Voit, the latter the only established player in the bunch. He moved to the Wilmington Blue Rocks of the South Atlantic League for 10 games, then finished the year in AA with the Harrisburg Senators for another 27. His combined slash line in 112 games was .273/.357/.407.

He experienced a setback in 2023 when he started the season with the Fredericksburg Nationals of the Carolina League, hit just .189 in 15 games, and then never really got going after a promotion to Harrisburg, hitting .225 in 106 games there. His totals of 9 homers and 41 RBIs were also below expectations. In 2024, an injury forced him to put in some more time at Wilmington on a rehabilitation assignment in August, although he hit well for Harrisburg before and after that, finishing at .271 in 60 games. Late that season, the Nationals gave him a first look in AAA with the Rochester Red Wings of the International League, but he hit just .125 in 17 games. In 2025, however, he got off to a good start with Rochester, hitting .288 with 4 homers and 24 RBIs in his first 40 games, to earn his first call-up to the Show.

He made his major league debut starting in center field for Washington against the Atlanta Braves on May 22, 2025. It was a good game for him as he went 2 for 5 and scored the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning on a single by Amed Rosario.

Further Reading[edit]

  • Jessica Camerato: "Hassell collects two hits, scores walk-off run in MLB debut to remember", mlb.com, May 22, 2025. [1]
  • AJ Cassavell: "Padres draft high school OF Hassell at No. 8", mlb.com, June 11, 2020. [2]
  • Manny Randhawa: "Padres' 1st pick faced Mo'ne Davis, can dunk: 10 things to know about prep outfielder Robert Hassell", mlb.com, May 31, 2020. [3]

Related Sites[edit]

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