Robert Hassell III #57

Robert Harris Hassell III...Graduated from Independence High School in Franklin, Tenn... Batted .423 with 14 home runs as a junior in high school and took home state player of the year honors in in 2019 and 2020... Hit .514 at the 18-U World Cup in South Korea, earning International Player of the Year honors for his performance in the tournament.

2023

Embarked on his first full season in Washington’s system after being acquired at the 2022 Trade Deadline... Capped the season strong, going 11-for-27 (.407) with a homer, four RBI, two walks and six runs in his last six games of the season... Reached base safely in 17 straight games from April 25 to May 14 between Fredericksburg and Harrisburg, hitting .279 with three doubles, a triple, a home run, six RBI, 17 walks and one stolen base... Hit .290 with a double, homer, 12 RBI, six stolen bases and nine runs scored in 20 games for Scottsdale in the Arizona Fall League.

2020

After being the first high schooler taken (8th overall) in June's First-Year Player Draft, was added to the club's 60- man player pool later that month, spending the season at the alternate training site...Was the 5th straight top-10 pick since A.J. Preller joined the Padres and the 2nd straight position player selected with SD's 1st pick (SS C.J. Abrams signed as the 6th overall in 2019)…Joined former Loretto standout Ryan Weathers (2018) and former Tullahoma standout Justus Sheffield (2014) as Middle Tennessee 1st-round draft picks out of high school, and Hassell was the 1st position player from Middle Tennessee to be drafted in the 1st round out of HS since Loretto’s Johnny Jones in 1967 (Jones, a catcher, was picked 5th overall by the Washington Senators)…Became the 1st Tennessee high school position player to be drafted since Ooltewah graduate Kyler Burke was picked No. 35 overall in the 1st round by the Padres (2006)…Played just two games his senior year at Independence High School (Tenn.) when the COVID-19 pandemic ended his high school season in the spring...in nine plate appearances, slashed .500/.667/.500...Prior to the Draft, the Vanderbilt commit was ranked as the 5th-best prep prospect (No. 16 overall) by Baseball America.

2019

As a high school junior at Independence High School (Tenn.) hit .423 with 14 HR and took home state player of the year honor for the second consecutive season...Also went 5-2 on the mound in 59.0 IP with a 1.07 ERA, striking out 113 and walking 21...Posted a slash line of .385/.467/.654 at the MLB Prospect Development Pipeline Showcase...A member of the 2019 USA Baseball’s 18U National Team, hit .514 and led the club in most offensive categories, earning the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s 2019 International Player of the Year honors for his performance in the tournament.