After a long and cold winter here in Massachusetts, returning to the field for some live baseball between North Carolina and Boston College last Friday was great. Both teams roster exciting prospects for the '25 draft and future years, and I have some standout performers and takeaways for both sides.

Below are the guys that stood out in my live look over the weekend ACC matchup.

Kane Kepley, CF, North Carolina

Kepley was the star of the day for me. This wasn’t my first time watching him play, and I even ranked him as one of my Top 20 Cape League players after catching him with Hyannis last summer. It all starts in center field for Kepley. He made multiple 70-grade plays throughout the day and showed off elite range to both sides. On a day when the wind was absolutely gusting, Kepley made playing center field look routine, which could not be said for the BC outfield. His arm is below average, but I’m at the point where it almost doesn’t matter. Kepley’s range is so strong that I think it would be a shame if a team moved him to left field. His defense is comfortably 60-grade, and I truly believe there’s an argument to slap a 70 on it.

At the plate, Kepley led off the game with a five-pitch walk. He fouled off the first pitch before taking four straight balls. Kepley makes incredibly advanced swing decisions and refuses to chase outside the zone. His speed is at least 60-grade, and pitchers know it. Once Kepley got on base, the BC starter made four or five pick-off moves. It's clear that the threat of Kepley’s speed alone is enough to get into opponents’ heads. He did not register a hit on the day, but he didn’t strike out. I want to circle Kepley as one of "my guys" for the 2025 draft right now. Teams will be turned off by the lack of power, but this is a 1.5–3 win player at the next level. It’s elite defense at a premium position, elite speed, and elite contact rates with strong swing decisions. The power is also non-zero, and he should hit 5–8 home runs to the pull side over the course of a full season. Sign me up for an impact major leaguer in the second- to fourth-round range.