NationalsProspects.com

AFL Update: Oct. 21, 2024

Robert Hassell’s two-run homer capped off a three-run 8th as the Rafters stung the Scorpions, 4-2 last night in Scottsdale.

Hassell, who was featured the AFL site, also singled and stole a base to go 2-for-4 with two RBI and two strikeouts as the designated hitter for Salt River. In eight fall games, he’s posted a line of .406/.441/.813 with two homers and 12 RBI.

Max Romero Jr. also got the start for the Rafters, catching the game and batting eighth. He went 1-for-4 with a strikeout but 0-for-5 throwing out would-be basestealers.

Salt River (6-5) returns to action on Tuesday when the Rafters host the Scorpions (4-7).

6 Commments

  1. Hassell has now hit as many extra base hits in his 8 games in the AFL (8) as he hit in his previous 51 games in the minors, which stretches all the way back to May 19!

    Even when Hassell was being touted as a top 20 prospect, he was still not hitting for this kind of power. His strength was making good, consistent contact not mashing the ball.

    This is better than the best case scenario. Hope he can keep it up!

    Meanwhile, in typical fashion, Cayden Wallace has quietly disappeared from the Salt River roster: https://www.mlb.com/arizona-fall-league/roster/salt-river

    He hasn’t played in over a week now, but this is the first time I’ve seen him removed entirely. Not good at all…

    Lastly, Romero just allowed 5 SBs behind the plate and hasn’t caught any runners of the 12 attempts made this season. Also not great.

    1. With Hassell’s two years of hand injuries, including another one this season, it seems worthwhile to take a wait-and-see approach. I too have been critical of his lack of power, but I didn’t realize the extent of his multiple injuries. We’ve certainly seen with the big club over the years how the hamate injury sapped Trea Turner and Jayson Werth for extended periods. Fingers crossed that Hassell is being reborn in the desert.

      That is concerning sleuthing about Cayden Wallace. He also seems to be star-crossed at this point. Send him home and get him healthy. He still figures to be an NRI to the big-league camp in the spring. But I don’t think anyone has a real read on his potential ceiling.

        1. Keith Law has a piece posted on the pitchers in the AFL who are impressing him. It will be interesting to see if he discusses Hassell when he gets around to the hitters.

          1. Law’s report now posted:

            “Hassell III is repeating the AFL off a disappointing, injury-plagued year that saw him slug just .371 across three levels, mostly in Double A. Hassell was one of the five players the Nationals received in return for Juan Soto in 2022, but he hasn’t hit at all since the trade, and he hasn’t gotten any stronger in that span, so the contact he does make is weak. He does have some feel to hit and is an above-average runner, but when he squares the ball up it just doesn’t go anywhere.”

            Law writes that another prospect is “feasting on the weak pitching out in the desert,” which is part of my concern with Hassell. We’ll see. There’s still a lot to be said for building confidence.

  2. There’s definitely a heaping dose of hitter friendly-itis going on. However, it’s one thing to feast on AFL pitching, it’s another things to post a 1.400 OPS against AFL pitching. It still could be statistical noise, but if you check out the AFL MVPs list ( https://www.mlb.com/arizona-fall-league/history/awards ), it’s a who’s who of MLB stars, including 2 MLB MVPs and a few dozen All Star appearances among the past decades winners. We’re still only a third of the way into the already short season, and remember Hassell himself started the 2024 season with a bang, before fading massively, so this may not be sustainable, but it sure as heck can’t be construed as a bad thing.

Comments are closed.