Author Topic: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF  (Read 10747 times)

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Offline imref

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Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Topic Start: August 02, 2022, 12:05:52 PM »
Drafted 2020 #8 by San Diego
Born 8/15/2001
L/L
6'2", 195lbs
Projected arrival: 2023

MLB Scouting Report:
Quote
Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55

Hassell was the best all-around hitter at the inaugural Prospect Development Pipeline League in 2019, then led the U.S. national team in almost every offensive category while batting .514/.548/.886 at the under-18 World Cup in South Korea later that year. Though there were varying opinions about the quality of his tools beyond his bat, he became the first high school player (No. 8 overall) taken in the 2020 Draft. The first Tennessee prep position player selected in the first round since Mike White in 1986, he signed for a below-slot $4.3 million. Hassell impressed at the Padres’ alternate training site in 2020, then starred in his full-season debut, hitting .302/.393/.470 over 110 games across two levels of Class-A ball.

Hassell established himself as the best pure high school hitter in his Draft class and his advanced bat-to-ball skills immediately translated to pro ball. With a left-handed swing that is geared toward driving the ball to the middle and opposite fields, Hassell projects as a plus hitter. He controls the zone well and shows a solid approach, though there is still room for him to grow as a power threat. The Padres are confident Hassell is capable of hitting for more power than he’s shown so far and expect his power numbers to increase as he adds strength to his 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame.

Prior to the Draft, Hassell faced questions about his defensive profile, with some scouts labeling him as more of a corner outfielder than a true center fielder. Those concerns have quieted a bit as he exceeded expectations defensively in his full-season debut. An above-average runner with good range, Hassell reads the ball well and his jumps and anticipation have given Padres officials confidence he can remain in center. If he does move to a corner, he has plenty of arm strength -- he was clocked up to 93 mph off the mound in high school -- to profile in right field.


.299 / .379 /.467 in 75 games through 8/2 at A+, 10HRs, 20SBs

https://www.milb.com/player/robert-hassell-iii-690987

Offline Elvir Ovcina

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #1: August 02, 2022, 12:10:55 PM »
I shouldn't, but F this guy, just on principle. 

"Given Padres officials confidence he can remain in center" means exactly what it was: "Given Padres officials hope they can trade him as if he's a CF."  News flash: he's not.  Defensively, he's Lane Thomas.

Offline Kevrock

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #2: August 02, 2022, 12:39:49 PM »
On what principle is that?

Offline Elvir Ovcina

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #3: August 02, 2022, 12:40:43 PM »
On what principle is that?

Guilt by association.

I didn't say it was a nice principle.  Very 1950s Russian of me.  But there ya go.

Offline Smithian

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #4: August 02, 2022, 12:53:18 PM »
I really like Hassell. Think they get him up to Harrisburg this year?

Online JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #5: August 02, 2022, 02:01:08 PM »
I really like Hassell. Think they get him up to Harrisburg this year?
why the heck not?  Send him straight there. If we are talking an ETA of 2023, there's nothing blocking him.  I assume he plays AFL, too.

Offline Kevrock

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #6: August 02, 2022, 02:08:04 PM »

Born: Aug 15, 2001
Bats: L Throws: L
Ht.: 6'2" Wt.: 195
Drafted/Signed: HS--Thompson's Sta., Tenn., 2020 (1).
Signed By: Tyler Stubblefield.
Minors: .299/.379/.467 | 10 HR | 20 SB | 304 AB
VIEW PLAYER CARD
Track Record: Hassell starred in the Little League World Series and led USA Baseball’s 18U national team to a silver medal at the 2019 World Cup with a .514 batting average. The Padres drafted him eighth overall in 2020 and signed him away from a Vanderbilt commitment for $4.3 million. Hassell reported to the alternate training site after signing and got at-bats in big league spring training games in 2021 before making his official pro debut. He lived up to his reputation as a premium hitter by batting .323/.415/.482 at Low-A Lake Elsinore and received a late promotion to High-A Fort Wayne.

Scouting Report: Hassell’s loose, all-fields swing is already perfectly geared for contact. He’s a consensus plus hitter who controls the strike zone, covers the entire plate and hangs in well against lefties in a way that is rare for a young lefthanded hitter. With a thin, 6-foot-2, 182-pound frame, Hassell has endured questions about his power potential for years, but he is learning to backspin the ball and pull the appropriate pitches. Until his average power manifests in games more consistently, the Padres are content to hit him atop the order, where he’s an on-base machine and a stolen base threat with his above-average speed. Hassell is a natural center fielder who is light on his feet and has the above-average arm strength to play any outfield position. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and isn’t afraid to voice it.

The Future: Hassell is on the fast track and could reach Double-A as a 20-year-old in 2022. He’s an all-star in the making if he unlocks his 15-20 homer potential.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 60. Power: 45. Speed: 55. Fielding: 55. Arm: 55.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/teams/1016/san-diego-padres/organizational/#103865

Offline Elvir Ovcina

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #7: August 02, 2022, 02:35:50 PM »
why the heck not?  Send him straight there. If we are talking an ETA of 2023, there's nothing blocking him.  I assume he plays AFL, too.

I'd send him to Wilmington for a few weeks just to get him into the new org at a level he should succeed immediately at, then consider AA to end the season (especially given that AA runs an additional week).

Online Slateman

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #8: August 02, 2022, 07:22:57 PM »
A taller Adam Eaton

Online welch

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #9: August 02, 2022, 07:36:47 PM »
Who needs Robles next season? Nats have Thomas and can bring back Stevenson.

Offline Five Banners

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #10: August 02, 2022, 07:38:00 PM »
Who needs Robles next season? Nats have Thomas and can bring back Stevenson.

Stevenson’s stats in AAA look worthy of a call up with the current crew

Offline NationalHeat

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #11: August 02, 2022, 09:14:15 PM »
A taller Adam Eaton

That would be awesome

Offline Five Banners

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #12: August 02, 2022, 09:17:54 PM »
That would be awesome

He and Green can drive a bigger truck

Online GataNats

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #13: August 02, 2022, 11:08:52 PM »
This is easily one of the top 2 or 3 hitting prospects in baseball

Offline Smithian

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #14: August 02, 2022, 11:15:54 PM »
I get shorter Jayson Werth vibes. Good number of steal. Double digit homer power, not reliant on power. Feels too good defensively for the corner, but maybe not best fit for CF.

Offline Kevrock

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Offline Kevrock

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #16: August 02, 2022, 11:22:50 PM »
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/

Offline Smithian

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #17: August 02, 2022, 11:29:17 PM »
Prime Adam Eaton was pretty good before he got hurt with the Nationals. If Hassell's career followed Eaton's, I'd be pretty happy :shrug:


Online Slateman

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #18: August 03, 2022, 07:11:29 AM »
This is easily one of the top 2 or 3 hitting prospects in baseball
He's not. He's in A ball.

Offline imref

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #19: August 03, 2022, 08:51:08 AM »
RHIII assigned to Wilmington

Online welch

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #20: August 03, 2022, 01:25:25 PM »
RHIII assigned to Wilmington

Looks like it's time to sample a cheese steak at the Claymont Sub Shop. Wilmington has been respectable, even with players promoted to Harrisburg after the first half of the season.

Offline Kevrock

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #21: August 03, 2022, 09:51:35 PM »
Ranked San Diego Padres #2 prospect in 2022
Track Record: Hassell starred in the Little League World Series and led USA Baseball’s 18U national team to a silver medal at the 2019 World Cup with a .514 batting average. The Padres drafted him eighth overall in 2020 and signed him away from a Vanderbilt commitment for $4.3 million. Hassell reported to the alternate training site after signing and got at-bats in big league spring training games in 2021 before making his official pro debut. He lived up to his reputation as a premium hitter by batting .323/.415/.482 at Low-A Lake Elsinore and received a late promotion to High-A Fort Wayne.

Scouting Report: Hassell’s loose, all-fields swing is already perfectly geared for contact. He’s a consensus plus hitter who controls the strike zone, covers the entire plate and hangs in well against lefties in a way that is rare for a young lefthanded hitter. With a thin, 6-foot-2, 182-pound frame, Hassell has endured questions about his power potential for years, but he is learning to backspin the ball and pull the appropriate pitches. Until his average power manifests in games more consistently, the Padres are content to hit him atop the order, where he’s an on-base machine and a stolen base threat with his above-average speed. Hassell is a natural center fielder who is light on his feet and has the above-average arm strength to play any outfield position. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and isn’t afraid to voice it.

The Future: Hassell is on the fast track and could reach Double-A as a 20-year-old in 2022. He’s an all-star in the making if he unlocks his 15-20 homer potential.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/players/103865/robert-hassell/

Online JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #22: August 04, 2022, 09:21:21 AM »
I'll be curious about how quick he moves up.  Do they hold off his debut until 2024 to get more peak years?  Do they try to bring him up with others in a batch / class?  dribbling in Abrams, Hassell, and De La Rosa (one of these things is not like the others) in '22 and '23, before Wood, House, Green, begins to chew up years of control.  I do wonder how hard nosed the new leadership is going to be about team control and arb.  Lerner/Rizzo seemed oblivious to Super 2 status, for example. 

Offline Elvir Ovcina

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #23: August 04, 2022, 09:37:30 AM »
I'll be curious about how quick he moves up.  Do they hold off his debut until 2024 to get more peak years?  Do they try to bring him up with others in a batch / class?  dribbling in Abrams, Hassell, and De La Rosa (one of these things is not like the others) in '22 and '23, before Wood, House, Green, begins to chew up years of control.  I do wonder how hard nosed the new leadership is going to be about team control and arb.  Lerner/Rizzo seemed oblivious to Super 2 status, for example.

Hassell, House, Wood, and Green haven't even gotten to AA yet.  With dudes like that, you don't worry about batch/sequencing them until they get far enough along toward proving they will be MLB players at all, let alone guys worth freaking with their arb years. 

Offline Smithian

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF
« Reply #24: August 04, 2022, 11:34:36 AM »
I'll be curious about how quick he moves up.  Do they hold off his debut until 2024 to get more peak years?  Do they try to bring him up with others in a batch / class?  dribbling in Abrams, Hassell, and De La Rosa (one of these things is not like the others) in '22 and '23, before Wood, House, Green, begins to chew up years of control.  I do wonder how hard nosed the new leadership is going to be about team control and arb.  Lerner/Rizzo seemed oblivious to Super 2 status, for example. 
The Nationals spent the 2010's trying to win. It was "Win Now" for almost 10 years. I'd have been mad if he played with Super 2 when the goal was to win that season.

As Elvir pointed out, we're a ways away from worrying about those guys being called up. But if they all start progressing and start hitting in AA and AAA, I think you'll see the Nats be a bit more strategic than they were in the 2010's.