PHILADELPHIA — Cameron Rupp seemed a little surprised by the media gaggle that gathered outside his locker after the Philadelphia Phillies’ 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.
After all, it’s not often the backup catcher gets a lot of attention.
But he certainly deserved it after this one, picking up a pair of hits and throwing out a pair of baserunners to help the Phillies win their second game in a row against their in-state rival.
Rupp’s offense hasn’t been stellar this season, as that 2-for-3 day only raised his average to .184. But he’s been very good behind the plate, throwing out seven of the 13 runners who’ve attempted to steal against him; that .462 success rate is the fourth-lowest among MLB catchers and the best for any catchers with 10 steal attempts against them.
“We work on holding runners, our pitchers do a good job of it and I’ve had good pitches to throw on,” he said. “Aaron (Harang) gave me good pitches to throw on, he was quick to the plate and Freddy (Galvis) put the tag on them. It’s more than just me throwing the ball there.”
The Phillies will be in need of a new everyday catcher soon enough. The man who’s been catching the majority of the club’s games over the last nine years, Carlos Ruiz, turned 36 earlier this year.
Rupp, who’s 10 years younger, will need to improve his offensive abilities if he wants to lock that job down. He’s shown the ability, hitting .261 in 379 at-bats split between the Double-A and Triple-A levels in 2013, but he’s still adjusting to doing so while playing only every few days.
“I’ve got to be ready at any point,” he said. “It’s the first time in my professional career that I haven’t been the every-day guy like I was doing down in the minor leagues. It’s an adjustment for me and I’ve got to stay sharp.”