Kane Kepley Stats & Scouting Report

AB	171
AVG	.263
OBP	.439
SLG	.386
HR	2

Full name Kane Kepley
Born 02/14/2004 in Salisbury, NC
Profile Ht.: 5'8" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School North Carolina
Drafted in the 2nd round (56th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2025 (signed for $1,400,000).

View Draft Report

School: North Carolina Drafted/Committed: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.4

BA Grade: 50/High

Kepley leaned into his throwback style of play in 2025, his first Power Four conference season after transferring from Liberty to North Carolina. The ultra-athletic, contact-over-power center fielder hit .291/.451/.444 with three home runs, seven triples, 13 doubles, 47 stolen bases and twice as many walks (44) as strikeouts (22). His first and only season in the ACC came with career-best marks in steals, triples, doubles and strikeout rate (7.1%). It produced career lows in batting average and walk rate (14.2%). At 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, Kepley has made a name for himself with his ability to avoid bad swings and produce gaudy contact numbers, though that contact is rarely powerful. He’s a contact hitter who is tough to strike out and will get on base consistently thanks to a strong eye. But with well below-average power and little physical projection, he might never hit more than 10-14 home runs a season. Kepley’s carrying tools are his premium glove in center field and plus speed, which translates both in the field and on the basepaths. He pairs his speed with great athleticism and instincts and he should be a plus defender in center field with little risk to move off the position. Kepley’s contact and defensive profile could help him fit in the first three rounds.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 30 | Run:60 | Field: 70 | Arm: 45.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 50/Average

Adjusted Grade: 40

Track Record: Kepley spent two seasons at Liberty before transferring to North Carolina. In his single season with the Tar Heels, he hit .291/.451/.444 with three home runs and 45 stolen bases. The Cubs drafted Kepley in the second round in 2025 and signed him for $1.4 million. Kepley had one of the most impressive debuts of any draftee, hitting .299/.481/.433 with two homers and 16 steals in 28 games for Low-A Myrtle Beach.

Scouting Report: A throwback-style player, Kepley has an undersized, hit tool-driven profile with plus-plus defense in center field. He stands just 5-foot-8 and has limited power, but his hit tool is likely advanced enough to make him a productive big league hitter. Kepley rarely swings and misses, running elite contact rates in 2025 at North Carolina and in his pro debut. He rarely expands the zone while showing aggressive tendencies on strikes. His approach and bat-to-ball skills are consistently good across all pitch types. While Kepley may lack over-the-fence power, he makes consistently hard contact. Kepley lacks impressive top-end exit velocities, but he finds the barrel, and his average exit velocity is in line with major league average. Kepley hits the ball flush at good angles and shows the ability to pull the ball in the air. Kepley is a plus runner and dangerous basestealer who will consistently draw the attention of opposing batteries. He’s a plus-plus defender in center, where his plus speed and strong instincts help him cover large swaths of grass.

The Future: Kepley has an advanced hit tool, more power than one would expect from his frame and a no-doubt center field defensive profile. He looks like a classic table-setter and outstanding everyday center fielder.

Scouting Grades Hit: 60 | Power: 40 | Run: 60 | Field: 70 | Arm: 45

Draft Prospects

School: North Carolina Drafted/Committed: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.4

BA Grade: 50/High

Kepley leaned into his throwback style of play in 2025, his first Power Four conference season after transferring from Liberty to North Carolina. The ultra-athletic, contact-over-power center fielder hit .291/.451/.444 with three home runs, seven triples, 13 doubles, 47 stolen bases and twice as many walks (44) as strikeouts (22). His first and only season in the ACC came with career-best marks in steals, triples, doubles and strikeout rate (7.1%). It produced career lows in batting average and walk rate (14.2%). At 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, Kepley has made a name for himself with his ability to avoid bad swings and produce gaudy contact numbers, though that contact is rarely powerful. He’s a contact hitter who is tough to strike out and will get on base consistently thanks to a strong eye. But with well below-average power and little physical projection, he might never hit more than 10-14 home runs a season. Kepley’s carrying tools are his premium glove in center field and plus speed, which translates both in the field and on the basepaths. He pairs his speed with great athleticism and instincts and he should be a plus defender in center field with little risk to move off the position. Kepley’s contact and defensive profile could help him fit in the first three rounds.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 30 | Run:60 | Field: 70 | Arm: 45.
School: North Carolina Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.4

BA Grade/Risk: 50/High

Kepley is reminiscent of former Wake Forest outfielder and current Guardians prospect, Tommy Hawke, with his speed, defense and contact ability. He hit .330/.482/.521 with Liberty in 2024, with 22 extra-base hits, 25 stolen bases and a ridiculous walk-to-strikeout ratio of 53-to-27. He also enjoyed a productive start to the summer on the Cape. Kepley’s bat-to-ball skills and approach are both outstanding. On top of his 93% overall in-zone contact rate, Kepley’s overall chase rate in 2024 was a diminutive 17%. He has high-level pitch recognition skills and his swing decisions are quite advanced. Kepley has a quick, compact swing and while he is definitely a hit-over-power profile, he does have some sneaky thump to the pullside. Kepley’s advanced baseball sense helps his already-plus run tool play up in that he knows how to run. He has shown comfortability deploying jump and shuffle leads, and he is an effective basestealer. Kepley can man all three outfield positions and he will stick on the grass professionally. He transferred to North Carolina for the 2025 season.

Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 30 | Run: 55 | Field: 60 | Arm: 50