On September 12, the Rays promoted pitching prospect Brody Hopkins from Triple-A Durham. Hopkins was a dominant strikeout pitcher in the Minors, although at least for now, his future is in the bullpen.
A Look at Hopkins
The Rays acquired Brody Hopkins two years ago from the Mariners, via the trade that sent Randy Arozarena. Hopkins came alongside outfielder Aidan Smith, who was sent to the Mets in August for Freddy Peralta. But for some time, Hopkins was long believed to be the better player.
A two-way player out of Winthrop, the now-24-year-old excelled in 2024 after he was picked in the sixth round one year earlier. Hopkins struck out 133 batters over 115 innings, allowing just three home runs. He had another good year in 2025, one that saw him make it to the Futures Game in Atlanta. However, he walked a lot of batters, with 60 free passes over 116 IP.
That theme continued again in 2026 — and was far more prevalent. Hopkins walked 92 batters over 94 innings with Triple-A Durham. Runners on base did him in to a certain extent, which is why he had an ERA over 5.00. Ultimately, the Rays moved him into the bullpen in August.
The results have been better out of the pen. Hopkins allowed no runs in seven of nine outings since the move. And he didn’t allow a run at all in September down with the Bulls.
With Hopkins, it’s a high-effort setup. Whip-like arm action and crossfire-like motion from the right-hander. There is the question of whether he can repeat the mechanics (i.e., keeping the front shoulder stable, delivery repeatability) on a consistent basis. But out of the bullpen, that was less of an issue.
But in terms of pure stuff, it’s elite. Hopkins had a booming plus-plus fastball as a starter, regularly hitting the upper-90s. Since the move to the bullpen, Hopkins has hit the triple digits more consistently, hitting as high as 102 MPH.
There was also a reciprocal jump in how he’s used the fastball. Since he does have that starter’s arsenal, he’ll also regularly work in a low-90s cutter, along with a mid-80s curveball. As a starter, Hopkins also used a low-90s changeup more frequently.
Not one of his changeups was barreled up, based on exit velocity/launch angle numbers from Triple-A. Only one curveball of his (2.5%) has been barreled up this season. That number jumped up with his fastball (9.6%), although that’s not much of a shock.
The Rays selected Brody Hopkins’ contract on September 12.
Analysis
Tampa Bay completed some housekeeping with this move. Hopkins would have been Rule 5-eligible had the Rays not protected him on the 40-man this coming November. Given his stuff, he would have been taken. But there is obviously more to it than that.
With the Rays now officially in the playoffs, the goal, aside from winning the AL East, is to also see which pieces will ultimately fit on the club’s October roster.
Hopkins becomes the second notable pitcher to be called up over the past week by Tampa Bay. One week earlier, the Rays promoted right-hander Ty Johnson from Triple-A Durham. And like Johnson, the jury is still very much out on whether Hopkins can be a starter long-term.
Over Johnson’s first two outings, he struck out three and walked two over 1.2 IP. Walks, though, weren’t as big of a problem for Johnson. Rather, his issue is with the pitch mix. For Hopkins, command is the biggest question mark. His high-effort, max-velocity approach worked to a good degree in the Minors. But at the MLB level, that’s a different story.
Although it’s one that has no bearing on the Rays’ World Series hopes for 2026. Instead, it’s about having the best arms possible to win a championship.
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