South Carolina Baseball: Former Gamecock gets traded

The South Carolina baseball program had two alums get called up to the Big Leagues for the first time during the 2023 season. PItcher Carmen Mlodzinski was a very good reliever for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and outfield TJ Hopkins saw some time with the rebuilding Cincinnati Reds.

This week, Hopkins was traded.

Instead of playing the 2024 campaign in the Cincinnati Reds organization, TJ Hopkins will be with the San Francisco Giants. Originally selected in the 9th round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Reds, the outfielder was traded earlier this week for a player to be named later and/or cash considerations.

In essence, the Reds needed a roster spot to come available, and Hopkins was the casualty of the corresponding move. However, from the other side of this trade, the Giants must be at least a little intrigued by the idea of Summerville, South Carolina native as they (eventually) will have to give something to the Reds in return for trading for Hopkins.

Hopkins struggled at the Major League level in 2023 (hit just .171/.227/.171/.398 in 44 plate appearances), but he had been one of the top hitting outfielders in Triple-A before his call-up to the Show. In the first two-thirds of the Triple-A season, he hit a much better .308/.411/.514/.924 with 16 home runs and 35 total extra-base hits with the Louisville Bats.

Perhaps a change of scenery away from Cincinnati will lead Hopkins to return to his Triple-A form. It is unclear at this point if he will play with the Major League club in San Francisco or if he will be shipped back down to the Minor Leagues to get back to form.

During his South Carolina baseball career, TJ Hopkins was a four-year starter who had more hits than games played, and over 60 of those hits went for extra-bases for the Gamecocks.