Hard-throwing pitching prospect Brody Hopkins is getting his first opportunity to showcase his talents in the big leagues.
The Tampa Bay Rays promoted Hopkins on Saturday. The 24-year-old is Tampa Bay 's No. 7 prospect and the team's highest-ranked pitcher on MLB Pipeline . The 6-foot-4 right-hander will have his first chance to pitch in the majors on Saturday in the Rays' game against the Houston Astros .
Tampa Bay is expected to use Hopkins as a reliever in 2026. The young hurler has pitched out of the bullpen in his last nine appearances with the Triple-A Durham Bulls, and he's produced six straight scoreless outings. The Rays prospect should be an electric arm to watch in the majors over the final weeks of the regular season.
Feb 19, 2026; Port Charlotte, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Brody Hopkins (88) poses for a photo during media day at Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Seattle Mariners selected Hopkins with a sixth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Winthrop University. The hard-throwing righty was then traded to the Rays in the July 2024 deal that sent outfielder Randy Arozarena to Seattle. Last year, in his first full season in Tampa Bay's farm system, the young hurler posted a 2.72 ERA in 25 Double-A starts, racking up 141 strikeouts in 116 innings.
This season, in his first taste of Triple-A action, Hopkins has a 5.17 ERA in 31 games with the Durham Bulls. He has a 5.96 ERA in 19 starts and a 2.25 ERA in 12 relief appearances this year. The 24-year-old has also notably issued 92 walks in 94 innings this year. In 2025, the flamethrowing prospect had 60 walks in 116 innings. So, Rays fans will undoubtedly want to pay close attention to the pitching prospect's command whenever he makes his MLB debut.
Since Tampa Bay already clinched a playoff spot this year, the team may be looking to evaluate Hopkins as a late-season weapon out of the bullpen. He has the pitch arsenal to be an effective reliever, but it's unclear exactly what role the right-hander will play with the Rays in 2026. Either way, expect to see plenty of high-velocity fastballs whenever the top prospect toes the rubber in the big leagues for the first time.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/minor-league-baseball as Pitching Prospect Brody Hopkins Is Bringing His Triple-Digit Fastball to the Majors .
