On Friday night, while the Washington Nationals were battling against the reigning champions out in Los Angeles in the Dodgers, their AAA affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings, were busy dominating their competition. At the forefront of the Red Wings' 11-5 victory over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs was one of the team's top prospects, who is making a case to return to the big leagues.
That prospect is Robert Hassell III, who was sent down along with Jose Tena last week to clear space on the big league roster for top hitting prospect Brady House, and outfielder Daylen Lile, as the team was seeking any sort of answer to end their losing streak.
As for his performance in Friday's game, Hassell III recorded arguably his best game of his professional career, finishing 4/5 with 2 homers, a double, single, walk, and 4 RBIs. It is an encouraging sight to see for the 23-year-old outfielder, who still clearly has the talent as a former Top 100 Prospect and former Top 10 pick in the 2020 MLB Draft.
However, his spot on the Nationals for the rest of this season is potentially in question, as with Dylan Crews set to return to the everyday lineup within the next couple of weeks if everything goes according to plan, that leaves just 1 open outfield spot as the team prepares for the future.
Daylen Lile, who was swapped out for Hassell III not even a week ago, has been solid at the plate, even clubbing his first big league homer earlier this week, but his defense in right field, which is not his natural position, has been pretty subpar. Hassell III was also not exactly great during his time in the big leagues, but he does have an arm that makes him valuable at any outfield spot.
Robert Hassell III is 4-for-4 with 4 RBIs, a walk and 2 home runs so far tonight.
— Bobby Blanco (@Bobby_Blanco) June 21, 2025
He’s still got it. pic.twitter.com/u1XgKXRbJe
Perhaps the most encouraging part of Hassell III's big game on Friday was the fact that he drew a walk, which was already his 3rd walk drawn in the last 5 games since being demoted. His plate approach at the big league level was lacking from a plate discipline standpoint, as he drew just one singular walk in 79 plate appearances, while also striking out 21 times. Whether Hassell III draws the title of being a 4A player like Carter Kieboom remains to be seen, but the bottom line is, with Jacob Young continuing to play his way out of favor, Hassell III's time in the minors could be cut short if he keeps playing like this.
Do you want to see Robert Hassell III come back to the big leagues? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.