Rays prospect Hopkins thriving in relief

One of the top pitching prospects in Tampa Bay’s system, Hopkins receives his first promotion to the majors in advance of their upcoming playoff run. The hard-throwing 24-year-old’s stuff has played up in shorter bursts out of the bullpen as he’s compiled a strong 3.00 ERA and 16/5 K/BB ratio across nine innings since moving to relief at Triple-A Durham on August 15. Hopkins is unlikely to deliver much from a fantasy perspective in a relatively limited role, but he’s a fascinating addition to Tampa Bay’s relied mix heading towards the postseason.

Hopkins figures to operate in shorter bursts out of Tampa Bay’s bullpen after recently shifting to a full-time relief role. The hard-throwing 24-year-old prospect has posted a strong 3.00 ERA and 16/5 K/BB ratio across nine innings out of the bullpen for Triple-A Durham since August 15. Hopkins is unlikely to offer much from a fantasy perspective in a relatively limited role down the home stretch, but he’s an electric arm with the chance to pitch in big spots for the playoff-bound Rays.

Hopkins entered the year as one of the top pitching prospects in the sport, thanks to an impressive power arsenal that features a triple-digit fastball along with an above-average curveball and changeup. The 24-year-old has endured a rough couple months on the doorstep of the majors, but turned in arguably his best performance of the year on Friday night, scattering one hit and three walks over five frames. He has the strikeout potential to be an impactful fantasy contributor once he reaches the big leagues, which could happen at some point in the second half.

No real surprises among this batch of cuts for the Rays. Areinamo may have had an opportunity to open some eyes during Grapefruit League play, but he was shelved early on due to tightness in his right hamstring and is expected to miss “a bit” of time.

The Rays’ top pitching prospect sat at 96.4 mph on his four-seam fastball while getting two whiffs on five combined swings on his cutter and changeup. The 24-year-old figures to begin the year in Triple-A after posting a 2.72 ERA and 141/60 K/BB ratio across 116 innings at Double-A last year. He has a solid five-pitch mix, led by some impressive breaking balls, including a platoon-neutral slider. There’s a chance we see him in Tampa Bay in the second half of the season, if not sooner.

Hopkins boasts one of the more imposing power arsenals of any pitching prospect in baseball, featuring triple-digit fastball velocity paired with a curveball and changeup that frequently touch 90 mph. The 24-year-old flamethrower has a chance to reach Tampa Bay at some point this upcoming season following a dominant run at Double-A Montgomery last year where he finished with a pristine 2.72 ERA — 3.33 FIP — and 141/60 K/BB ratio across 116 innings. He’s an elite pitching prospect that fantasy managers should be monitoring closely during Grapefruit League action.

Hopkins isn’t a household name for fantasy managers yet, but he’s a strong addition to Tampa Bay’s system. The 22-year-old was a sixth-round selection in the 2023 MLB Draft and has looked phenomenal this season in his professional debut with a sparkling 2.90 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 95/40 K/BB ratio across 83 2/3 innings (18 starts) for Low-A Modesto. At 22 years old, there’s an incredibly wide range of outcomes here, but he’s definitely an intriguing pickup for the Rays player development engine.