"It was being aggressive when I got a pitch to hit," Rupp explained before Monday's 6-4 loss to the Orioles in a Grapefruit League game at Ed Smith Stadium. "You've got to be ready for it. When you put a good swing on the ball and you don't miss it, you're going to hit the ball hard. I felt like I did that consistently all year."
Rupp ranked 29th out of 246 hitters in baseball (minimum 200 at-bats) with an average exit velocity of 92.2 mph, according to Statcast™. He ranked sixth among catchers with 24 barrels, which are well-struck balls where the combination of exit velocity and launch angle typically leads to a minimum .