DURHAM, N.C. — Tampa Bay Rays No. 2 prospect Brody Hopkins touched 101.1 mph and struck out seven over five shutout innings in relief at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, continuing a dominant stretch that has the 24-year-old right-hander squarely on the organization’s radar for a big-league call-up.
Hopkins allowed just one hit and two walks against the Charlotte Knights in Triple-A Durham’s 11-6 loss. Across his first two outings as a reliever, the Winthrop College product has struck out 16 while surrendering one hit and three walks over 10 innings — numbers that suggest the Rays’ bullpen experiment is working.
The velocity was evident from the start. Hopkins fired five straight fastballs upon entering the game, all registering at least 98.9 mph. His 60-grade four-seamer averaged 98.3 mph and generated a 28.6 percent whiff rate — four whiffs on 14 swings — accounting for four of his seven strikeouts.
Hopkins’ best work came in the fourth inning. After issuing a leadoff walk, he struck out the side, including Chicago White Sox No. 2 prospect Braden Montgomery — ranked No. 23 overall by MLB.com — on an 84.7 mph curveball. Opposing hitters have been swinging and missing at Hopkins’ 60-grade curveball at a 37 percent clip.
As impressive as the strikeouts and velocity have been, Hopkins’ command may be the most significant development. He threw 61.3 percent of his offerings for strikes — tied for his second-highest mark of the season — and landed 13 of his 18 first pitches for strikes. Over his last two outings, Hopkins has posted a 63 percent strike rate, well above his 56.1 percent season average.
Since May 1, Hopkins has posted a 1.42 ERA over 25 1/3 innings. Opposing batters have hit just .128 with a .450 OPS during that stretch. The 2023 sixth-round pick came to the Rays organization at the 2024 Trade Deadline as part of the package Tampa Bay received for outfielder Randy Arozarena.
Hopkins is ranked No. 83 on MLB.com’s overall prospect list. Durham’s schedule continues at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, where the improved command paired with his electric stuff will determine how quickly the Rays move him closer to a major-league debut.