Kane Kepley only spent one season with the North Carolina Tar Heels but his performance in the leadoff spot helped him get drafted early during the 2025 MLB Draft on Sunday night.
Kepley was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the second round of the draft at No. 56 overall, being the second Tar Heel to be drafted on Sunday night. He joins catcher Luke Stevenson who was taken by the Seattle Mariners.
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The 21-year-old Kepley is a North Carolina native who spent the first two years of his college career with the Liberty Flames before transferring to UNC. In his lone year with the Tar Heels, Kepley served as the team’s leadoff man hitting .291/.451/.444 with 45 stolen bases over 61 games. With a smaller frame, he fit the leadoff role for UNC and hit just three home runs.
With Kepley’s selection, the slot value is at $1,680,000 for the pick. But it’s expected the Cubs will go a little lower than that to help with the rest of their picks.
Kepley is also the second ACC outfielder the Cubs have selected in this draft, taking Wake Forest’s Ethan Conrad at No. 17 overall.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Chicago Cubs select UNC outfielder Kane Kepley