Don’t overlook Jonathon Long in the Cubs’ 2026 plans

Rick Scuteri - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 7 hours ago

Although the offseason has been a slow process for the Cubs so far, there is still plenty of time for them to make some noise as Spring Training is still two months away. With 33 of their 40 roster spots accounted for, the Cubs have some work to do, but they also have the funds to make something happen, whether through free agency or the Trade market.

Whether they use the financial resources is another question, as it continues to be the biggest hurdle this team must overcome every offseason. Expecting the worst is what Cubs fans have grown accustomed to at this point, and it's safe to assume some of the open roster spots will have to be filled internally.

Guys like Owen Caissie, Moises Ballesteros, and Kevin Alcantara come to mind, but with Caissie at the center of trade conversations, he is more of a bigger question mark right now. One name that isn't talked about enough as a possible contributor next season is 2025 Cubs Minor League Player of the Year Jonathon Long, who is almost certainly going to get an invite to Spring this year.

What he does with that will be on him, but with Long also expected to participate in the World Baseball Classic this season for Chinese Taipei, he will at the very least see some quality pitching, which could help him land an opening-day opportunity with the Cubs in 2026. A ninth-round pick in 2023 out of Long Beach State University, Long has been one of the best Cubs hitters for the past few seasons and is now on the verge of reaching the bigs for the first time.

After hitting .274 with seven homers and 14 RBIs in 23 games that season, you could see his potential as his bat-to-ball skills were already some of the best in the Cubs organization. In 2024, Long took the next step in his career, playing in 114 combined games between South Bend and Tennessee as he emerged as one of the Cubs' most consistent players.

That season, Long managed to hit .283 with 17 homers and 70 RBIs, while his 69 walks and 101 strikeouts also showed an above-average eye at the plate for a reasonably young hitter. His production that season also landed him on the Mesa Solar Sox roster of the Arizona Fall League, where he and Ballesteros combined for two of the best seasons in recent memory, as Long was officially on the center stage among the Cubs' prospects.

Placed in AAA ahead of the 2025 season, many felt that Long would take a step back, but instead, he continued to produce and put together his best overall season up to this point. Not only did he hit .305 across 140 games, but his career-high 20 homers and 91 RBIs showed the type of power he has, ranking him in the top five in homers in the organization while also leading the organization in RBIs.

While the strikeout numbers slightly increased to 110, his walk rate also increased as he continued to take his walks with 79. This is the classic case of not only improving from one season to the next, but also of Long getting to the point where he has nothing left to prove in the Minors, which makes him an intriguing option for the big league roster.

From a fit standpoint, the fit is obviously there for Long to be on the opening-day roster, but the question is where he would play when you have so many players currently on this team. With third base and first base being his primary positions, Long would have a hard time starting at those spots, although he could spell Michael Busch at first base should the Cubs go with a lefty/righty platoon.

You also have the DH role to consider, where Seiya Suzuki is most likely heading back to, creating the opportunity for Ballesteros to take over as the Cubs' full-time DH. Why not go with a lefty/righty platoon in that aspect, also, as Long is a righty and Ballesteros is a lefty? That way, you aren't taking away at-bats from either player, and you are allowing them to show what they can do at the big league level.

This is a problem the Cubs haven't had in a while, so seeing it happen again has to be a breath of fresh air for this organization. Long will be one of the most significant question marks this Spring, as his play at the WBC could go a long way toward determining the kind of impact he could make next season.