Rays' No. 2 prospect Hopkins shines in first relief outing, tossing five hitless innings
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The first month of the season didn't go so well for righty Brody Hopkins, who pitched to a 5.32 ERA in April. But May has been a different story, as he showed again Friday night, albeit in a different role.
In his first pro appearance as a reliever, the Rays' No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline delivered five no-hit innings with nine strikeouts for Triple-A Durham to close out a 7-4 comeback win against Norfolk at Harbor Park. Not only that, but Hopkins produced 15 whiffs on the night, the most of any pitcher at Triple-A on Friday.
Acquired from the Mariners in July 2024 as part of the deal that sent Randy Arozarena to Seattle, Hopkins saw uneven results as a starter this season. He'd made just one quality start, and in his last start allowed six walks and four earned runs over 2 2/3 innings against Nashville.
Still, there's been a lot to like. Hopkins has limited batters to a .188 average this season and has posted a 1.77 ERA in May. And though he'd issued 42 walks in 43 innings as a starter this season, he walked only one in Friday's relief outing.
In what was his best appearance of the season so far, Hopkins reminded the Rays and their fans why he could be a big part of the team's future.