Players / Player profile
KC · CF

Kyle Isbel

Age 29 B/T L/R 5′10″, 190 lb USA MLB debut 2021
40-man
  • Kansas City’s roster as it stands part-time CF · 394 PA (CF 394) · 0.6 WAR in the role
  • Injured list 2026: Left plantar fasciitis (Jun 10–Aug 2)
  • Trade read Available at a price: KC 39% playoff odds; control through 2027.
xwOBA .263 wOBA .276
2026 fWAR 0.1
Projected 2027 WAR 0.6 at 402 PA · 0.6 in his 2027 role

Hitting · 2026 percentiles

vs. MLB hitters with 300+ PA · 324 PA

xwOBA .263 xwOBA: .263, 1st percentile
Swing decisions −1.61 Swing decisions: −1.61, 5th percentile
Contact value −1.29 Contact value: −1.29, 10th percentile
Bat speed 70.9 Bat speed: 70.9, 35th percentile
Squared-up / swing 24% Squared-up / swing: 24%, 68th percentile
Blasts / swing 7% Blasts / swing: 7%, 34th percentile
EV90 103.5 EV90: 103.5, 39th percentile
Barrel % 2.6% Barrel %: 2.6%, 8th percentile
Chase % 35.7% Chase %: 35.7%, 20th percentile
Zone contact 93.6% Zone contact: 93.6%, 97th percentile
Strikeout % 22.8% Strikeout %: 22.8%, 42nd percentile
Walk % 4.6% Walk %: 4.6%, 6th percentile

Platoon splits · swing path

By pitcher handedness

vsPAwOBAxwOBAK%BB%ChaseDecisionsContact
LHP78.197.22923%3%35%−1.50−2.26
RHP246.301.27423%5%36%−1.65−1.03
Attack angle
2.4° (38% in 5–20°)
Attack direction
−3.0°
Swing length
7.1 ft
Fast-swing rate
13%
Pull-air %
12.6%
Hard-hit %
32.9%
Slash · wRC+
.225/.268/.323 · 61

Zone map · 2026

Where he does damage, and where to pitch him

−0.8−1.7−0.6−2.0−0.4−0.8+0.1−1.7−0.1−1.8−0.3+2.4−2.5−0.8−0.70.0−2.8+0.8+1.8−0.2−1.8−1.1−0.3−2.2−0.7LHB

Does the most damage middle-away (+2.4 vs. league per 100; 1.1 standard errors on 69 pitches, inside the noise for the best of nine cells).

Weakest down and away (−2.8), but only 1.2 standard errors from average on 51 pitches: no in-zone spot to attack yet.

Runs per 100 pitches vs. an average LHB: better · worse. Catcher’s view · 1,052 pitches · faded cells are within one standard error of average. A spot is called only when it is farther from average than the best or worst of nine average cells gets 95% of the time (set from the league’s own pitches: about 3 standard errors above, 2 below).

Most similar hitters

Swings like Isbel: bat path, contact quality and approach

SimilarityPlayerxwOBA’26 WAR’27 proj2027
58Ben Williamson TB · ’00.2890.10.5—
53Justin Crawford PHI · ’04.2890.20.7Pre-arb
51Tyler Freeman COL · ’99.313−1.1−0.6Free agent
50Bo Bichette NYM · ’98.3311.91.9Player option $42.0M
49Alejandro Osuna TEX · ’02.308−0.40.1—

Nearest neighbours on bat speed, swing length, attack angle, squared-up and blast rates, EV90, barrels, pull-air, chase, zone contact, K% and BB%. 2026 regulars only.

Fielding

2027 rating at every position he can play · OAA by position · range by direction · tools. Same engine as the Fielding Lab and the Winter Plan.

2027 rating by position · best fit first, on the total with the position’s worth
CF +7.1 +9.6
LF +10.1prior −0.4
RF +10.1prior −0.4
Outs Above Average by position
SeasonPosOAARangeArm, DPRunsBatters
2026CF+7+6−1.9+4.13,366
2025CF+12+11−0.5+10.54,336
2024CF+9+8−0.8+7.24,409
2023CF+11+10−0.7+9.33,083

Runs = range plus his arm and double-play runs spread over his positions by outs (Fielding Run Value, from 2023): what the rating counts.

Range by direction (OAA at CF)
2025 · CF2026 · CF In (charging) +1+1Back 0+1Toward 3B line +8+3Toward 1B line +3+2vs. RHH +5+3vs. LHH +7+4
Tools (percentile; arm among CFs)
Arm at CF 81.2 mph · 13th
Sprint speed 27.3 ft/s · 48th
Reaction +2.1 ft · 94th
Burst +1.5 ft · 89th
Route −1.2 ft · 9th
Catch difficulty (latest season)
PlayMadeChancesRate
★★★★★52322%
★★★★3650%
★★★5683%
★★141688%
★1414100%
Zone rating (Keystone expected outs)
SeasonZoneBallsOuts vs. exp.
2026CF406−2.6
2025CF493+0.9
2024CF507+0.6

The zone rating counts every ball hit to his part of the field while he played there, his club’s positioning included; Savant OAA uses his actual starting spot and is the better individual grade. They agree best in the outfield. See the model card.

Compare in the Fielding Lab →

Contract & projection

Club control (RosterResource) · Keystone projected WAR

2027 0.6 WAR Arbitration $4.3M*
2028 0.3 WAR Free agent
2029 −0.1 WAR Free agent
2030 −0.6 WAR Free agent

* projected arbitration or minimum salary. Contract Studio →

Minor leagues

MLB Stats API · public box-score data

SeasonLevelLevelTeamAgeGPA / IPPA / IP ·Line
2026AAAAAAOmaha Storm Chasers29934 PA 34 PA · .333/.412/.467 · 0 HR · 17.6% K · 8.8% BB

ABS challenges · 2026

Baseball Savant

As batter 33% 1/3 won · −0.1 runs
Keystone is an independent portfolio project. It is not affiliated with Major League Baseball or any club. Data: MLB Stats API, Baseball Savant, FanGraphs. Used under their terms for individual, non-commercial use.