Brody Hopkins struck out his second consecutive batter Wednesday night, and as the ball was tossed around the infield, he stalked behind the mound and let out a roar. What came next was pure gasoline:
101.5 mph foul. 101.2 mph foul. 102.1 mph groundout.
The final pitch of the evening for the Rays’ No. 7 prospect in Triple-A Durham’s 10-2 win over Nashville at Durham Bulls Athletic Park marked his hardest-thrown offering at the level. Just 19 big league pitchers and nine other Triple-A hurlers have reached the elusive 102 mph mark this year. Entering the night, Hopkins had tossed 1,795 pitches at Triple-A, with just five 101 mph or harder. Of his 13 pitches Wednesday, four that exceeded that mark.
Or, as the Durham broadcasters pointed out:
“He’s a different cat right now on the mound. He’s loving this new role.”
Prevailing wisdom says when you put a starter in the bullpen, the radar gun readings will increase. With just one inning to empty the proverbial tank, pitchers can throw with maximum intensity. But even with that in mind, it’s imperative to have an idea of where the ball is going, which hasn’t always been the case for Hopkins in 2026.
As a starter (19 outings): 5.96 ERA, 1.89 WHIP, .226 BAA, 9.7 BB/9
As a reliever (12 outings): 2.25 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, .136 BAA, 5.4 BB/9
Hopkins’ path is one the Rays also instituted with right-hander Ty Johnson, who made 10 starts for Durham this year before being transitioned into a relief role in late July. After 11 bullpen appearances in which Triple-A batters hit just .125 against him, Johnson, the Rays’ No. 10 prospect, made his Major League debut last weekend in Texas.
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The only hurler in the Rays system ranked higher than Johnson? Well, that’s Hopkins. A member of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list as recently as earlier this year, the 24-year-old appeared on the fast track to his big league debut after a successful spin through the Southern League with Double-A Montgomery last season (2.72 ERA, 141 K’s in 116 IP).
Acquired from Seattle as part of the Randy Arozarena deal at the 2024 Trade Deadline, Hopkins has long boasted an electric right arm. At his height as a starter, he operated with a five-pitch mix, virtually all of it nasty. But the problem was that much of it -- especially earlier this season -- often landed outside of the strike zone.
Now in relief, Hopkins has largely pared things down to three offerings: four-seamer, cutter and curveball. He averaged 100.8 mph with his heater Wednesday and has now compiled 47 pitches at 100 mph or higher this year -- 34 of which have come over the past two months.
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Even with the transition to the bullpen, Hopkins has managed to compile 122 strikeouts this year, tied for the second-most among all Rays Minor Leaguers. Opponents' .208 average-against leads the system among all hurlers who have worked at least 90 innings this year.
The Rays boast the eighth-best team ERA (3.81) in the Majors this season, but that number dips to No. 17 when accounting exclusively for relievers (4.08). Hopkins isn’t currently a member of the club’s 40-man roster but waits in the wings if Tampa Bay needs reinforcements down the stretch in its quest for the American League East pennant.
It’s safe to say his heater will be ready.