The former second-round pick is terrorizing professional pitchers with elite plate discipline and world-class speed, topping the farm system leaderboards in walks, runs, and stolen bases.
Chicago Cubs prospect Kane Kepley is having a memorable Minor League campaign.
Kepley is the Cubs’ No. 5 overall prospect on MLB Pipeline and was selected in the second round of the 2025 MLB Draft. After appearing in 28 games with Low-A Myrtle Beach last season, the lefty-swinging outfielder has put together unforgettable numbers down in the minors this year.
The 22-year-old has a combined .243 batting average, 10 home runs, 22 doubles, nine triples, 70 RBI, 70 stolen bases, 120 walks, and 127 runs scored across 125 games at High-A and Double-A this season.
While Kepley does carry a subpar batting average at this point in the season, he ranks among the best in several different categories in the minors. His 70 stolen bases, 127 runs scored, and 120 walks lead all Minor League players in 2026.
Kepley's game has been really impressive this year. He continues to be extremely patient at the plate, will take his walks when he has to, and remains a dangerous threat on the basepaths. The Cubs prospect has a high success rate on stolen bases, going 70-for-77 on steals this season (91%).
As it stands now, Kepley is two stolen bases in front of Angels prospect Juan Cespedes (68) for the Minor League lead. He is six walks ahead of Astros prospect Xavier Neyens for the lead in that category and has scored 16 more runs than the next-closest Minor League player (Reds prospect Carlos Sanchez).
Kepley has emerged as one of the Cubs’ best up-and-coming prospects. He had a .254/.435/.414 slash line with seven home runs, 18 doubles, seven triples, 54 RBI, and 50 stolen bases across 93 games at High-A this season before being promoted to Double-A Knoxville in early August.
His numbers with the Knoxville Smokies haven’t been as sharp, as he has a .212/.382/.363 slash line with three home runs, 16 RBI, and 20 stolen bases across 32 games. However, his underlying metrics suggest he's been a bit unlucky to start his Double-A tenure.
Kepley has a .352 wOBA, 114 wRC+, 22.6% pull air rate, 91.1% zone contact rate, and a .150 ISO at Double-A. He also ranks in the 91st percentile in strikeout rate (16%), 93rd percentile in walk rate (16.7%), and 99th percentile in speed (9.51).
Given Kepley's struggles at Double-A over the last few weeks, he will likely begin the 2027 campaign with the Knoxville Smokies again. But expect him to be promoted to Triple-A sometime in the summer and eventually make his Major League debut in either late 2027 or early 2028.
Kepley's speed could make him a potential September call-up next season.
