URI:
   DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Bleacher Bums Forum
  HTML https://bbf.createaforum.com
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       *****************************************************
   DIR Return to: Bleacher Bums Forum
       *****************************************************
       #Post#: 514314--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs Draft 2025
       By: CUBluejays Date: July 13, 2025, 8:53 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=Deeg link=topic=659.msg514308#msg514308
       date=1752457309]
       Not that similar. Smith was back playing, Conrad is out for the
       season (and it's his throwing shoulder). You have to put 100%
       faith in the medicals with him.
       [/quote]
       How did you react to the Smith
       Re: Cubs Draft 2024
       « Reply #64 on: July 14, 2024, 07:29:25 pm »
       I do think he's a 3B but very skeptical on the hit tool. Not an
       inspiring choice.
       Report
       I don’t love Kelley’s profile, but Kantrovich gets the benefit
       of the doubt for me.  Other than his COVID draft he seems to be
       doing pretty well.
       #Post#: 514315--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs Draft 2025
       By: Reb Date: July 13, 2025, 9:15 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Kepley:
       27 HBP  22 Ks
       Impressive
       #Post#: 514316--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs Draft 2025
       By: Reb Date: July 13, 2025, 9:17 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=Deeg link=topic=659.msg514311#msg514311
       date=1752457614]
       Kepley 5'8", #84 at MLB.com.
       [/quote]
       #60 BA
       #Post#: 514320--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs Draft 2025
       By: davep Date: July 13, 2025, 9:28 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Dominick Reid
       #Post#: 514323--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs Draft 2025
       By: davep Date: July 13, 2025, 9:31 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Reid does a nice job of moving his running fastball around the
       strike zone, working at 91-94 mph and reaching 96 with the
       ability to get carry at the letters or sink at the knees. He
       throws his best pitch, an 82-84 mph changeup with fade and sink,
       nearly as much as his heater and will double and triple up on
       it, even against right-handers. He led all NCAA Division I
       pitchers with 66 strikeouts via the cambio. He doesn't have
       nearly as much trust in a slurvy low-80s breaking ball that
       rarely fools hitters.
       With a strong 6-foot-3 frame and an athletic delivery that he
       repeats well, Reid provides consistent strikes. His fastball can
       catch too much of the plate at times, so he needs to command his
       heater to set up his changeup and find success. He'll probably
       need to come up with a better breaker to remain in the rotation
       at the next level.
       #Post#: 514326--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs Draft 2025
       By: davep Date: July 13, 2025, 9:36 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Video scouting report »
       Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 30 | Run: 60 | Arm: 40 |
       Field: 60 | Overall: 45
       Listed at 5-foot-8 and 180 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, he ranked
       fourth in NCAA Division I with 45 steals and topped the Atlantic
       Coast Conference in strikeout rate (7 percent).
       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
       could 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.
       #Post#: 514331--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs Draft 2025
       By: craig Date: July 13, 2025, 10:38 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=Reb link=topic=659.msg514315#msg514315
       date=1752459328]
       Kepley:
       27 HBP  22 Ks
       Impressive[/quote]
       Batting average <.300 in college. Hard to big-league OBP when
       game is walks, HBP, and ground-ball singles.  Very difficult
       pathway.
       Kantro seems to like this profile, though?  Southisene last year
       got a pretty big superslot; and Bateman two years ago.  Hoyer
       liked Madrigal too.
       Wonder how much sub-slot he'll go?
       #Post#: 514332--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs Draft 2025
       By: Deeg Date: July 13, 2025, 10:40 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       The Cubs do love their changeup specialists.
       Kepley will have to hit enough to stick in LF, since he doesn't
       have the arm for right and center seems pretty well occupied for
       a while.
       #Post#: 514333--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs Draft 2025
       By: Deeg Date: July 13, 2025, 10:47 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Fangraphs and Law with similar takes on Kepley.
       [quote]At FanGraphs, Kepley was ranked 101:
       “Transferred to UNC after two years at Liberty. More walks than
       strikeouts all three years of college. Blazing speed, modern day
       nine hole hitter skill set with catalytic qualities but very
       little power. Patient hitter with plus bat-to-ball skills, 89%
       contact rate in 2025. Likes to poke pitches down and away from
       him back through the middle and to the opposite field. Plate
       discipline might play down in pro ball due to lack of power.
       Stole 45 bases in 49 attempts in 2025. Solid average center
       fielder, pretty easily has the range for it but reads and routes
       are just okay. Plays with big effort and intensity. Fourth
       outfielder if his hit tool continues to hold water against big
       league pitching, fifth outfielder if it sags a bit.”
       Keith Law at The Athletic ranked Kane Kepley 91st in this class:
       “Kepley is a very undersized center fielder who’s a 70 runner
       and 60 defender, walking almost twice as often as he’s struck
       out, with almost no in-game power at all. He only swung and
       missed at pitches in the zone 7.5 percent of the time this year,
       and just 10 percent out of all the times he swung the bat. He
       hit three homers all year, getting a lot of extra slugging
       percentage from his speed on doubles and triples, but he’s
       probably got closer to 40 power than 30 — his exit velocities
       are all a little below the D1 median, but not terribly so. He’s
       probably a fourth outfielder unless he can add strength, and
       hitting under .300 in his draft year probably doesn’t help his
       cause.”[/quote]
       #Post#: 514335--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs Draft 2025
       By: Deeg Date: July 13, 2025, 10:51 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Reid #366 BA, 209 MLB. Unranked Law/Fangraphs.
       *****************************************************
   DIR Previous Page
   DIR Next Page