On 12-5-24, MLB.com posted their top 100 prospects in the
upcoming draft. Beginning 2-2-25, we will post it in backward order, ending
with the pick for 1.1
https://www.mlb.com/prospects/2025/draft/ -
#40 Kane Kepley
OF North
Carolina
20/years old
5' 8" 165
Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 60 | Arm: 40 |
Field: 60 | Overall: 50
Listed at 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds, Kepley received no NCAA
Division I scholarship offers because of his small stature. He quickly claimed
a starting job as a walk-on at Liberty in 2023 and broke out last season, when
he led Conference USA with 53 walks and 25 steals before earning All-Star
accolades in the Cape Cod League. After transferring to North Carolina, his
next task will be replacing 2024 first-round pick Vance Honeycutt in center
field.
Kepley is an on-base machine who executes quality swing
decisions from the left side of the plate. He excels at putting the bat on the
ball, especially within the strike zone, and rarely chases pitches. His lack of
physicality and flat swing lead to worries about how much impact he'll make at
the plate, though he does have some sneaky bat speed and strength that give him
some modest pull power.
Kepley plays with constant energy and looks to make things
happen on the bases with his plus speed. He also will make highlight plays in
center field, where his quickness and fine instincts give him plenty of range.
His arm is below average but playable in center.
1-22-25 –
Just Baseball: 2025 MLB Draft – Top 80 College Prospects
https://www.justbaseball.com/college/mlb-draft-top-college-prospects/?s=03
58. Kane Kepley – OF
HT/WT: 5’8/170 | Bat/Throw: L/L | School: North Carolina |
Age: 21.4
Looking for a high-floor table-setter to lead your lineup?
Look no further than Kane Kepley.
Originally a member of the Liberty Flames, Kepley followed
Scott Jackson to North Carolina, where Kepley will be tasked with replacing
Vance Honeycutt in center field.
Kepley is built similarly to Cleveland farmhand Tommy Hawke,
though Kepley has the better hit tool. Kepley’s pure contact skills are
outrageously good and his approach is as pristine as it gets.
He’s not fazed by velocity or spin and posted a contact rate
of 90% this spring before an 89% contact rate on the Cape. Kepley is relatively
passive and chases at a minute rate, racking up a ton of walks and keeping
strikeouts to a bare minimum.
The hit tool is miles ahead of the power in his compact
frame, though there’s solid bat speed and some loft to his pull side.
Defensively, Kepley has the speed, route-running, and instincts to play the
“eight” at the collegiate level, though he may be destined for a left-field
role down the road. It’s a limited upside profile, but there’s a very high
floor to go with it.
1-6-25 - 5 way too early 2025 MLB Draft prospects to
target with Brewers' glut of early picks
Kane Kepley, OF, North Carolina
The description of Kane Kepley fits the description of a lot
of the Brewers players. Overlooked and undersized, Kepley makes a ton of
contact, draws walks, getting on base at a high clip and then using his speed
to advance. Last year for Liberty, Kepley hit .314/.464/.496 with nine homers,
25 stolen bases, and 53 walks to just 26 strikeouts.
Excellent swing decisions, energy, speed, and contact ability
makes Kepley the type of player Pat Murphy would love to have in his lineup and
the Brewers have a history of targeting these traits, so it wouldn't be
surprising to see Kepley become a Brewer this summer.
9/27/24
2025 MLB Draft Prospect - OF - Kane Kepley - North Carolina
link–
OF KANE KEPLEY (LIBERTY TO NORTH CAROLINA)
The Tar Heels are getting one of the best contact hitters in
the transfer portal. At Liberty, Kepley made some insane numbers contact wise.
It doesn’t matter where you throw it, there is a good chance that Kepley will
hit it. He utilizes the opposite field quite a bit as well. The 5’8, 170lb outfielder doesn’t possess
much raw power but still puts up decent overall exit velos. He’s a plus runner
who can track a ball down decently in the outfield. That speed has also led to
20+ steals in one season at Liberty and two summer ball seasons. The lack of
power, as mentioned, limits his ceiling, but he has a very safe floor due to
his speed, defensive ability, and ability to make contact.
link -
Kane Kepley
Position: OF
Bats/Throws: L/L
Height: 5-8
Weight: 165
Prev School: South Rowan HS
Hometown: Salisbury, N.C.
2023
2023 ASUN All-Freshman team
Played in 50 games with 40 starts
Started 29 games in left field and 11 games in center field
Hit .310 with 19 RBI and a team-leading 44 runs scored
Had eight doubles, four triples and hit a home run
Walked a team-leading 39 times and posted a .457 on base
percentage
Had 17 stolen bases
Finished the year tied for third in triples, tied for sixth
in stolen bases and 11th in on base percentage in the ASUN
Hit .325, collecting 37 hits and walking 30 times in 30 games
after taking over as the Flames’ leadoff hitter on April 6
Scored 46.6% (34-of-73) of the time that he reached base
after becoming leadoff hitter
Had two hits and a RBI, stole two bases and scored three
times in 12-1 win over Austin Peay (3/24)
Collected three hits, two stolen bases, a RBI and a run
scored in a 9-4 victory at Lipscomb (4/2)
Had two hits against Virginia (4/4)
Went 3-for-4 with a walk and an RBI, scoring three times in
an 11-6 win over Central Arkansas (4/7)
Walked twice and scored twice in a 7-3 victory at Virginia
Tech (4/11)
Collected three hits, two doubles, two RBI and one run scored
in a 9-1 win in game two of a doubleheader at Kennesaw State (4/15)
Walked two times and scored two times in 3-2 victory over Old
Dominion (5/3)
Tied the program record with six hits, hitting for the cycle,
driving in a run and scoring three runs in a 15-12 victory at Eastern Kentucky
(5/14)
Had two hits, including a triple, two RBI and two runs scored
in a 12-11 win over No. 1 seed Lipscomb during pool play at the 2023 ASUN
Baseball Championship (5/23)
Member of the ASUN Academic Honor Roll
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