Hassell Selected for MLB All-Star Futures Game

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Fort Wayne TinCaps center fielder Robert Hassell III has been selected to play in Major League Baseball’s 2022 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game that will be held on Saturday, July 16 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

While Fort Wayne has had several alumni appear in this showcase before, such as Fernando Tatis Jr. and MacKenzie Gore of the Padres, Hassell is the first ever active TinCaps player to represent Fort Wayne. (The franchise played at the Low-A level from 1993-2019 and was promoted to High-A in 2021.)

“It’s super exciting,” Hassell said. “When I found out, I started thinking about the season so far and who’s helped me. I thought about my manager, Brian Esposito, and I can’t thank him enough, as well as the rest of our coaching staff, and my family, too, for their support.”

MLB.com ranks the 6-foot-2 20-year-old from the Nashville area as the top San Diego Padres prospect and a top-25 prospectacross all of baseball.

“Part of who I am is always being thankful, but never being satisfied,” Hassell said. “I really appreciate this opportunity and hope it helps me unlock even greater goals going forward. The hard work will continue.”

Hassell leads the Midwest League in batting average, hitting .303. He’s also seventh in stolen bases (19) and RBIs (43), while ranking eighth in on-base percentage (.375). Hassell has lived up to the nickname “Bobby Barrels,” as he’s swung and missed at only nine percent of the pitches he’s seen, the eighth-lowest rate in the circuit. Defensively, beyond showing great range, he’s one of only two qualifying position players in the league who hasn’t committed an error. The average age for a player in the MWL is about 23.

Hassell, who will play for the National League team, was one of only eight Futures Game selectees announced on SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio on Wednesday. Complete rosters will be revealed Thursday. The Futures Game features the top Minor League prospects competing as part of the first-ever All-Star Saturday, ahead of the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday the 19th. It will once again feature a National League vs. American League format. The game, which is scheduled for seven innings, will begin at 7 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock and SiriusXM. Two-time World Series Champion and World Series-winning manager Mike Scioscia will lead the NL squad, while fellow World Series Champion and 2007 NL Most Valuable Player Jimmy Rollinswill manage the AL.

In the meantime, Hassell and the TinCaps are amid a 12-game homestand at Parkview Field.

“The fans have been great all season,” Hassell said. “I almost feel like I’m in a big league game with the crowds at Parkview Field.”

Tickets to see Hassell and the ’Caps are available online at TinCapsTickets.com, by calling 260-482-6400, and at the Parkview Field Ticket Office.