Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Cutter: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 | Overall: 55

A transfer from the College of Charleston, Hopkins may have put up better numbers as a hitter than as a pitcher during his one year at Winthrop, but the Mariners still took him in the sixth round in 2023, signing him under slot at $225,500 as a pitcher. Hopkins was off to a promising start with Single-A Modesto (2.90 ERA, 95 strikeouts in 83 2/3 innings) when Seattle shipped him to Tampa Bay at the 2024 Trade Deadline in a move for former postseason hero Randy Arozarena. The righty finished up at High-A that year and pitched all of ’25 at Double-A Montgomery, where he posted a 2.72 ERA and ranked second among Double-A qualifiers with a 29.3 percent K rate.

A Futures Game selection last year, Hopkins earns raves for his overall athleticism and adjustability on the mound, and it certainly showed in his best season yet. His four-seamer sits 95-98 mph, touches triple digits and can explode to the top rail from a low release. He can work with a pair of power breaking balls in the upper 80s in his curveball and sweeper. The deuce’s vertical drop makes it easier to fit within the horizontal borders of the zone and became the preferred offering by the Rays. A 90-93 mph cutter is even more zonable with its tight action and can steal early strikes. An 88-91 mph changeup stands out most for its difference of speeds.

Hopkins’ arm can get long in his delivery, and the moving parts can make it tougher to deliver consistent strikes. That, along with the longer movement of his sweeper, caused Tampa Bay to pare back his arsenal at times in search of cutting down walks. He has a considerable ceiling with the might of his stuff, but that control could hold him back.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Cutter: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 | Overall: 50

The word you hear most when it comes to Hopkins is “athletic,” and for good reason. He is arguably the best athlete in the Rays’ organization, including both position players and pitchers. And that makes sense when you consider his background. He was a two-way player at College of Charleston but didn’t pitch much. He transferred to Winthrop, where he played the outfield and started on the mound. His numbers weren’t great, but the Mariners took a shot in the sixth round of the 2023 Draft for an under-slot bonus of $225,000, eyeing him as a pitcher. He got off to an excellent start for Single-A Modesto last year then went to the Rays as part of the deal for fan favorite Randy Arozarena.

Hopkins has the athleticism, size, delivery and stuff to be a front-of-the-rotation starter. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, he has long arms and a loose delivery that includes a surprisingly low release point for someone that big and physical. That helps his stuff play up even more, including a pair of mid-90s fastballs (with a riding four-seamer and the ability to touch the upper 90s, plus a sinker) and a bat-missing slider in the upper-80s with a ton of break. He’s added a cutter and curveball to give him some velocity differential, and he rounds out his arsenal with a changeup that could be at least an average offering.

Hopkins should be able to dominate hitters with his athletic delivery and full complement of nasty pitches, headlined by his fastball and slider. But he will have to display better command as he gets into the high Minors. Despite striking out 133 batters in 115 innings last year, he also walked 53 and hit 19 more. His walk rates have crept up a tad in 2025, but the rest of the arsenal is so good that he's become officially the best arm in the system.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Cutter: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45

The brother of former Red and current Giant TJ Hopkins, Brody Hopkins was a two-way player, starting at College of Charleston, where he pitched very sparingly over two years. He moved to Winthrop and got the chance to play the outfield and start, showing enough on the mound for the Mariners to take him in the sixth round of the 2023 Draft while signing him for an under-slot bonus of $225,000 with the intent to develop him as a pitcher. He got off to a tremendous start at Single-A Modesto and was traded to the Rays before the Trade Deadline in a move for Randy Arozarena.

Long and loose, the 6-foot-4 right-hander has some good stuff he can rely on. While his fastball was typically in the 93-96 mph range in college, he could reach back for 98, and he’s carried that promising velocity into his first full season. His low-80s slider can flash plus at times and misses a good amount of bats and plays well off the riding fastball out of his low release height. His mid-80s changeup lags behind the other two offerings, and he's also added a cutter that helps play between the fastball and slider.

The biggest thing that could hold Hopkins back is his command. He walked 7.3 per nine at Winthrop in 2023 but exhibited promising steps forward in the Seattle system before the trade. The Rays were in need of promising arms with starting capabilities, and they’ll hope Hopkins can continue his upward trajectory now that he’s focused on the mound.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 40 | Overall: 40

The brother of former Red and current Giant T.J. Hopkins, Brody Hopkins was a two-way player, starting at College of Charleston, where he pitched very sparingly over two years. He moved to Winthrop and got the chance to play the outfield and start, showing enough on the mound for the Mariners to take him in the sixth round of the 2023 Draft and signing him for an under-slot bonus of $225,000 with the intent to develop him as a pitcher.

The Mariners are hoping the athleticism Hopkins showed on the mound will help him as he turns his focus to the mound full time. Long and loose, the 6-foot-4 right-hander has some good now stuff he can rely on. While his fastball was typically in the 93-96 range, he could reach back for 98 mph and it’s not hard to dream on more consistent velocity in the future. His low-80s slider can flash plus at times and misses a good amount of bats. His mid-80s changeup lags behind the other two offerings, but it could be fringe-average in time. 

The biggest thing that could hold Hopkins back is his command. He walked 7.3 per nine at Winthrop in 2023, but the Mariners plan to let him at least begin his pro career as a starter, with the hope that no longer splitting his focus along with that athleticism, could unlock some upside potential.

Awards

SOU Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2025

SAL Pitcher of the Week

Week	Team
09/08/2024

CAL Pitcher of the Week

Week	Team
07/28/2024

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	01/30/2026	Tampa Bay Rays invited non-roster RHP Brody Hopkins to spring training.
	07/11/2025	American League Futures activated RHP Brody Hopkins.
	04/02/2025	RHP Brody Hopkins assigned to Montgomery Biscuits.
	04/02/2025	Montgomery Biscuits activated RHP Brody Hopkins.
	07/30/2024	RHP Brody Hopkins assigned to Bowling Green Hot Rods from Charleston RiverDogs.
	07/26/2024	Tampa Bay Rays traded CF Randy Arozarena to Seattle Mariners for RHP Brody Hopkins, OF Aidan Smith and Player To Be Named Later.
	07/26/2024	RHP Brody Hopkins assigned to Charleston RiverDogs.
	07/25/2024	RHP Brody Hopkins roster status changed by Modesto Nuts.
	07/25/2024	RHP Brody Hopkins roster status changed by Modesto Nuts.
	07/25/2024	RHP Brody Hopkins roster status changed by Seattle Mariners.
	04/04/2024	RHP Brody Hopkins assigned to Modesto Nuts from ACL Mariners.
	03/07/2024	Seattle Mariners Prospects activated RHP Brody Hopkins.
	11/14/2023	RHP Brody Hopkins assigned to ACL Mariners.
	07/18/2023	Seattle Mariners signed RHP Brody Hopkins.
	06/14/2023	RHP Brody Hopkins assigned to College Workout.
	05/31/2023	Frederick Keys activated RHP Brody Hopkins.
	05/22/2023	RHP Brody Hopkins assigned to Winthrop Eagles.
	05/22/2023	Winthrop Eagles activated RHP Brody Hopkins.