Rays' No. 2 prospect finding another gear, touches 101 mph in relief at Triple-A
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A week ago, Brody Hopkins made his first appearance as a reliever after working the first 274 innings of his career as a starter.
MLB.com's No. 83 prospect once again jogged out of the bullpen and delivered another masterful outing with five shutout innings in Triple-A Durham’s 11-6 loss to Charlotte at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Hopkins struck out seven while allowing one hit and two walks.
In his first two outings as a reliever, the 24-year-old right-hander has struck out 16 while allowing one hit and three walks over 10 innings.
Hopkins immediately set the tone upon entering Thursday's game by firing five straight fastballs, all of which hit at least 98.9 mph on the radar gun.
His 60-grade four-seamer topped out at 101.1 mph and averaged 98.3. The pitch generated a 28.6 percent whiff rate (four whiffs on 14 swings) and accounted for four of the seven strikeouts.
Hopkins' dominance was showcased best in the fourth. After a leadoff walk, the Rays' No. 2 prospect struck out the side, including Braden Montgomery (CWS No. 2/MLB No. 23) on a nasty 84.7 mph curveball. Entering the night, opposing hitters were swinging-and-missing at Hopkins' 60-grade curveball at a 37 percent clip.
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The strikeouts and velocity are eye-catching, but it's Hopkins' command that may ultimately turn the heads of Rays fans. Against the Knights, he threw 61.3 percent of his offerings for strikes -- tied for his second-highest mark of the season -- while also throwing 13 of his 18 first pitches for strikes.
The 2023 sixth-round pick has overpowered batters since May 1, posting a 1.42 ERA over his last 25 1/3 innings. Opposing batters have hit just .128 with a .450 OPS during that span.
Over his last two outings, Hopkins sports a 63 percent strike rate, well above his 56.1 percent average for the season.
That's what the Rays were looking for out of the Winthrop College product when they picked him up at the 2024 Trade Deadline as part of the package for Randy Arozarena. Pairing that improved command with his already electric stuff could enable Hopkins to take that next step as a pitcher in The Show sooner rather than later.