Brody Hopkins Continues Midseason Bounceback
Entering the season, Rays righthander Brody Hopkins was among the best pitching prospects in the sport. Then he stopped throwing strikes. For most of the 2026 season, he’s splattered pitches everywhere but in the zone, leading to delivery changes and, recently, a move to the bullpen. Simpler, more balanced mechanics have helped him return to the form he showed in Double-A last year, and he’s been lights-out in two bulk relief appearances.
Hopkins’ most recent outing came on Thursday, when he entered in the third inning and threw up zeroes for five one-hit, two-walk innings with seven strikeouts. His fastball regularly touched triple digits and peaked at 101 mph, and his curveball, changeup and cutter were all crisp and effective. Since moving to the pen, Hopkins has gone 10 shutout innings and allowed one hit, walked three and struck out 16 hitters.
