Name: Cameron Rupp
Position: C
Bats: RH
Throws: RH
DOB: 9/28/88 (22 as of April 1, 2011)
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 240 lbs
Drafted: 3rd round, 2010 ($287,000 bonus)
Baseball-Reference Page
First Inning Page
Fangraphs Page
Pre Draft Report: Cameron Rupp comes from a baseball family, as his father logged some time as a pitcher in the Expos system in the late-70s and his uncle has extensive college coaching experience. He was originally selected in the 43rd round of the 2007 draft by the Pirates out of Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, TX. He was ranked as the 57th best prospect in Texas by BA. He had won the home run derby at the AFLAC Classic the year before, but scouts were mixed as to whether he’d hit enough in college or in the pros, as swing was jammed easily by mediocre fastballs. In addition, his catching was called into question, as BA noted that he often flinched when receiving balls and while his arm was strong, he threw from a low arm slot.
Rupp opted to attend the University of Texas. He was a Freshman All-American in 2008 before helping the Santa Barbara Foresters (California Collegiate League) win the National Baseball Congress World Series by hitting .320 with two homers and eight RBI in the championship series. Rupp put up a .292/.387/.505 line in his sophomore year, when he was named to the College World Series All-Tournament Team. He followed up that season by hitting .317 with four homers in the Cape Cod Summer League.
In his junior season, Rupp posted a .304/.390/.483 line, leading BA to rank him as the 17th best prospect in Texas and the 123rd nationally. Its report on Rupp noted that he had fallen from being a possible first round pick based on his junior year. Scouts questioned whether his power would translate in the pros and that his swing mechanics were somewhat unchanged from high school, as he was still easily tied up by inside fastballs. It did note a lot of improvement in his catching skills, but tempered that by questioning whether he would ultimately stay behind the plate given his size.
The Phillies signed Rupp by the end of June and he started his career in Williamsport.
Career Synopsis: Rupp struggled with his adjustment to wooden bats in the pros, posting a meager .218/.318/.378 line in the NYPL. He struck out 51 times in just 223 plate appearances, although he partially offset this with 25 walks. His defense also suffered, as he made seven errors and was charged with eight passed balls in only 28 games while throwing out just 15% of attempted base stealers. Rupp participated in the FIL after the season.
In 2011 the Phillies sent Rupp to Lakewood. Rupp put up a solid season with limited power, posting a .272/.346/.373 line. His defense continued to improve, but he his strikeout rate spiked with a decrease in his walk rate.
In 2012 Rupp moved to Clearwater where he had a breakout year of source with a jump in power and walk rate and a large drop in strikeout rate. His defense received great reviews from management and his final .267/.345/.424 batting line earned the distinction as the #22 prospect in the system by Baseball America.
Scouting Report: Below is an assessment of the player’s tools. The grades are based on the 20-80 scouting scale. To understand more about this, check out this page. In addition to the individual grades, I’ve included an Overall Future Projection grade which is a summary that gives an idea of what the player’s role is likely to be in the majors, if he gets there.
Hit For Average: 45
Hit For Power: 45
Fielding: 55
Throwing Arm: 60
Speed: 30
OFP: 45 – Solid back-up catcher
Summary: Offensively, Rupp looks like a future big league backup at best. His hit tool and power are fringe average, but there may be more power after it jumped in the pitcher friendly FSL. His calling card in college was his defense, and that will likely be what carries him to the majors.
Videos:
From Summer 2009
From March 2010
As you can see, Rupp is a big dude with a really strong upper body. He’s got some swing and miss in him, but the raw power is definitely there.
May 2011
Articles
Phillies Nation Interview with Cameron Rupp
Meet Blueclaws C Cameron Rupp
Profile updated 3/30/2013
Profile updated today with the following additions:
two videos from May 2011
two interviews filed under the articles section.