DURHAM, N.C. — Tampa Bay Rays prospect Caden Bodine belted home runs from both sides of the plate in the same game for the first time as a professional, powering the Durham Bulls to a 7-0 win over Norfolk at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Bodine, MLB’s No. 51 overall prospect and the Rays’ No. 3 prospect, delivered a three-hit performance in only his third game since being promoted to Triple-A. The switch-hitting catcher — ranked MLB’s No. 5 catching prospect — lined a base hit off Orioles right-hander Trace Bright in the second inning, turning an 0-2 changeup into a single to left field. Bodine has posted a .336 average and .821 OPS when behind in the count this season.
Three innings later, Bodine dug into the left-handed batter’s box and turned on a 1-2 fastball, golfing it over the right-field wall for his first Triple-A home run. The blast gave him a long ball at all four full-season Minor League levels in 2026. He returned to the plate in the seventh, flipped to the right side against Baltimore southpaw Luis De León and ambushed a first-pitch changeup just over the left-field wall for his 16th home run of the season.
Across four Minor League levels this year, Bodine is hitting .348, which ranks third among all Minor Leaguers. He owns an 89.4 percent contact rate in 424 at-bats, a figure that would rank fifth among all qualified MLB hitters, ahead of names like Nico Hoerner and Kevin McGonigle. His .526 slugging percentage ranks fourth among qualified hitters in the Rays system.
Bodine, acquired in the deal that sent Shane Baz to the Orioles, has been one of the most consistent offensive producers in the Tampa Bay organization in 2026. He leads the system with 94 RBIs and 149 hits, ranks second with 80 runs and 225 total bases, and sits third with a .941 OPS.
The Durham Bulls continue their series against Norfolk at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, where Bodine will look to build on a breakout campaign that has him knocking on the door of the major leagues.