UNC Outfielder Kane Kepley Selected by Chicago Cubs in 2nd Round of MLB Draft

Kane Kepley is headed to the Show.

The Chicago Cubs selected Kepley with in the second round with the No. 56 overall pick of the 2025 MLB Draft Sunday evening in Atlanta.

Kepley joined the Diamond Heels in 2025 after two productive seasons at Liberty, following former Flames head coach Scott Jackson over to Chapel Hill. Replacing All-American Vance Honeycutt as UNC’s starting centerfielder, Kepley made his one year with the program county. He started all 61 games and posted a .291 batting average, leading the team in triples (seven) and stolen bases (45 in 49 attempts). His .451 on-base percentage led all qualified hitters on the team, in part due to Kepley being hit by a pitch 27 times, which led the team and ranked 15th in all of college baseball. Impressively, Kepley struck out just 22 times all season, by far the fewest of any UNC starter.

Kepley was just as efficient in the field, finishing the season as UNC’s only every-day starter to not commit a single error. He was named second team All-ACC.

Kepley is the second Diamond Heel to hear his name called in the 2025 MLB Draft, after the Seattle Mariners selected catcher Luke Stevenson in the first round earlier Sunday. The draft’s first three rounds will be completed Sunday, with rounds 4-20 set to be completed Monday.

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Joe Bray

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