The Chicago Cubs were looking for an above-average defensive outfielder who is an on-base machine.
They found their guy, selecting UNC baseball standout Kane Kepley with the No. 56 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.
With the 56th pick in the 2025 Draft, the @Cubs select @DiamondHeels outfielder Kane Kepley, No. 84 on the Top 250 Draft Prospects list.
— MLB Draft (@MLBDraft) July 14, 2025
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Kepley only spent one season at North Carolina but made a significant impact in that short amount of time. A transfer from Liberty, Kepley followed his former head coach Scott Jackson to Chapel Hill, as he was tasked with replacing Vance Honeycutt in center field.
Sure, Honeycutt left big shoes to fill, but Kepley fill the void nicely in his own style.
Kepley started all 61 games in the leadoff spot and in center field, hitting .291 with a team-high .451 OBP to go along with 68 hits. He tied for the team lead in multi-hit games (22) and led the team in runs scored (74) and walks (71). Of those 71 free passes, 27 came via hit by pitch, marking the second-most by a Tar Heel in a single-season this century.
He was also a demon on the base paths, swiping 45 bases. That mark tied Russ Adams for the third most stolen bases in a single-season by a Tar Heel, and also gave him more stolen bases than 59, yes, 59, Division I programs.
From fans embracing his Lion King walk-up song to him being exciting at the plate, on the base paths and in center field, Kane Kepley quickly became a household name in Chapel Hill. The only bad thing is that UNC baseball fans will only get to enjoy Kepley for one season, as he'll now head to Chicago to join the Cubs organization.
It won't take long for Cubs fans to fall in love with Kepley, a guy who leaves it all out on the field and plays the game the right way.