Rays Pitching Prospect Duo Adjusting Well to Relief Roles
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With each passing day, the Tampa Bay Rays are moving closer and closer to locking in a playoff spot in the American League.
Entering play on Aug. 29, their Magic Number to be part of the playoff field was down to 14 after defeating the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of their three-game set. There is plenty of work left to do, and some more help could be coming for the pitching staff in the near future.
When MLB rosters expand down the stretch of the regular season, Tampa Bay could look to add some fresh arms to the pitching staff to finish out the campaign. Two players to keep an eye on are Brody Hopkins and Ty Johnson.
Those are the two highest-ranked pitchers in the team’s farm system, coming in at Nos. 7 and 10. Both were also starting pitchers to begin the season, but in recent weeks, they have begun transitioning to the bullpen as potential additions to the Big League as relief pitchers.
Rays top pitching prospects adjusting well to bullpen roles
Hopkins made his fifth consecutive appearance out of the bullpen on Aug. 28 against the Norfolk Tides and showcased his elite velocity. As shared by Running From The OPS, his four-seam fastball was sitting at 100 mph, with his hardest being 100.3.
That is hard enough to handle before dealing with a devastating curveball that is 86 mph. Hopkins has also been working on a cutter, expanding his repertoire successfully.
The most encouraging thing about the outing was that Hopkins didn’t issue a walk for his second consecutive appearance, and the third time in his last four. Free passes have been a major issue for Hopkins, issuing 90 in 89 innings of work in 2026, but he looks to be figuring things out.
Johnson has been coming out of the bullpen for about a month at this point and has adjusted incredibly well. He also pitched against Norfolk and was dealing, showcasing his four-seam fastball and slider mix, throwing them six and seven times, respectively.
Ty Johnson earning Big League promotion
The results were excellent, generating an eye-popping five whiffs. He was at 94.4 and 95.4 mph, overpowering the three batters he faced and recording two strikeouts.
After a rough first relief outing in which he surrendered three earned runs and recorded only one out, Johnson has really settled in. He has allowed only one earned run in 10.1 innings since, recording 17 strikeouts. Only once has he failed to strike out multiple batters in an outing.
It would not be a surprise to see him called up, making his Major League debut when rosters expand on Sept. 1.
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Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. Previously, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.