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In his career, he seems to OPS about a 100 points higher against RHP vs LHPInterestingly enough, Jacob Young is somewhere around 70 points better against LHP
Paywalled unfortunately: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/nationals-robert-hassell-iii-began-to-hit-his-stride-in-afl/
Nationals’ Robert Hassell III Began To Hit His Stride In AFLNovember 17, 2024Lacy LuskThanks to getting the ball off the ground more often, the career of 23-year-old outfielder Robert Hassell III might be taking off again.With the chance to make the Nationals’ 40-man roster, the eighth overall pick from the 2020 draft had a good run in the Arizona Fall League. Hassell hit .291/.365/.535 with four home runs through 21 games.Nationals farm director Eddie Longosz got a first-hand look at the franchise’s AFL contingent. The lefthanded-hitting Hassell was striking the ball with more authority and stretching singles into doubles. One of the tweaks with his swing has been a slightly new stride direction.“Robert has been playing extremely well out here, with a great approach at the plate, staying inside the baseball and keeping the barrel in the zone,” Longosz said.
Hassell played briefly in the AFL in 2022 and regularly in 2023. After he missed about two months of the 2024 season, he and the Nationals agreed that a third stint in Arizona could be good for him.“He made tremendous progress in Double-A this year as well as the last month in Triple-A,” Longosz said “He is an elite outfielder in both center field and right field. He is going to be a very exciting player to watch come spring training.”
Added to the 40 man!
16. Robert Hassell III, OFHeight: 6-1 | Weight: 186 | Bats: L | Throws: L | Age: 23Hassell is going to end up the least valuable of the six players the Nats acquired from the Padres for Juan Soto — not counting the only veteran in the return, Luke Voit, and assuming C.J. Abrams decides to get some sleep — as he’s probably just a fourth or fifth outfielder who can hit right-handers a little and plays strong defense in center. He’s a plus runner and has above-average plate discipline, at least against righties. He didn’t have a single extra-base hit off a lefty in 76 PA last year, and had just three (all doubles) off them in 2023, for a .218 slugging percentage off southpaws over two years. He also doesn’t hit the ball that hard off righties, so his best shot at any kind of major-league role is to get on base more and use his legs. I was way too high on him at the time of the trade; he kind of stopped hitting entirely the moment he got to the Nats’ system and hasn’t resumed.https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6095944/2025/02/06/nationals-2025-top-20-prospects-keith-law/
.052 ISO? Bobby Banjo, not Barrels
power will come when it warms up in Rochester.
I just push back hard at anyone who says he should be playing in mlb ahead of young and call right now. They may be marginal mlb players, but right now Hassell isn't even that. He needs sustained success in the minors first.
Bobby Barrels wasn't ready.
