Washington Nationals Future Star Helps Arizona Fall League Team to Title
The bright future of the Washington Nationals was on full display during the 2024 season.
Despite winning only 71 games, there were many positives, thanks to a young, developing core that provides a lot of optimism for the future.
Left fielder James Wood hit the ground running after he made his Major League debut. Right fielder Dylan Crews struggled in his one month in the Majors but is loaded with potential. Shortstop CJ Abrams made the All-Star team and second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. took his production to another level.
On the mound, MacKenzie Gore appears to have ace potential. He was dominant to start and finish the season, with a tough summer sandwiched in between. Jake Irvin, DJ Herz and Mitchell Parker all look like they can be long-term pieces.
The infusion of young talent isn’t slowing down any time soon. There are more young players knocking on the door of the majors in the minor leagues.
One of those players is outfielder Robert Hassell III.
He was acquired by the Nationals as part of the Juan Soto blockbuster from the San Diego Padres. At the time, he was the top-rated prospect in their system and had an incredibly bright future.
Unfortunately, his trajectory changed drastically over the last few years because of injuries, which led to a drop in confidence. Looking to bounce back, he was allocated to the Arizona Fall League for a third time.
It is rare for prospects to play in the AFL that many times, but Hassell was given a chance to show he had figured things out and moved past the injuries. It was the right decision, as he was one of the most productive players there.
In 22 games and 100 plate appearances, the star prospect had a slash line of .281/.360/.517 with seven doubles, one triple and four home runs. He knocked in 19 runs and stole five bases while helping his team, Salt River Rafters, to a championship.
Hassell received a lot of praise from his manager, Tyler Smarslok, who appreciated the leadership and experience he brought to the squad.
“Hass coming back for his third year, it's actually great because he's good for the rest of the guys in the clubhouse that haven't done the AFL before,” Smarslok said, via Kelsie Heneghan of MLB.com. “He can speak on experiences. He's been one of the leaders as well. He's done an incredible job. He's an incredible person. He's gonna be an incredible player in the big leagues too.”
The Rafters defeated the Surprise Saguaros, 3-2, in the title game. Along with Hassell and the rest of the Nationals allocated to the AFL, members of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies and New York Yankees were on the championship team, too.
