The Padres No. 2 prospect and No. 25 overall on the BA Top 100, Hassell is one of the best pure hitters in the minors with a sweet lefthanded swing that has made him one of the best hitters for his age at every step of his career. After hitting .303 in his pro debut last year, he hit .299/.379/.467 with 10 home runs, 55 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 75 games at High-A Fort Wayne this season. Hassell has a loose, direct swing that allows him to drive the ball to all fields, a talent he showcased with a hard line drive to deep left field and a hard single up the middle in the Futures Game in Los Angeles last month. He is a contact-first hitter who is best when he stays up through the middle of the field, but he has enough power to drive balls over the fence to his pull side and should be able to pair high batting averages with 15-20 home runs as he gets stronger with age. Hassell is a plus runner who makes the routine plays in center field and can stick at the position. He still gets tangled up on his routes at times, but he has the speed and instincts to keep improving and be at least an average defender in center field. His plus arm rounds out his defensive profile. Hassell’s swing and advanced pitch recognition give him a chance to be a plus or better hitter as long as he continues getting stronger to hit balls hard consistently. His offensive skills and ability to stick in center field give him all-star potential as long as he keeps progressing as expected.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/trade-central-padres-acquire-juan-soto-and-josh-bell-from-nationals-for-six-player-haul/
