Jonathon Long named Cubs 2025 Minor League Player of the Year |
Dustin Riese
· · 3 hours ago
With the 2025 Minor League Baseball season officially in the rear view, it's time to dish out the annual Minor League player and pitcher of the year awards. When it comes to the Cubs and their player of the year nominees, there were several players to choose from, as the Cubs had their share of offensive stars.
From Carlos Perez to Owen Caissie, BJ Murray Jr., and Jonathon Long, the names on this list were all deserving of the award, as all four had impressive showings in 2025. However, when all is said and done, the one guy who had the biggest breakout campaign of them all took home the award, as Long secured the Cubs' Minor League Player of the Year honors, announced by Baseball America. A mid-20s prospect among the Cubs system when the season started, Long has proven to have all the hit tools to make it in the MLB, and there is a chance he leapfrogs all the way into the top 10 among the Cubs prospects by next season. The 2023 ninth-round pick out of Long Beach State University, Long has had an impressive career since joining the Cubs and is very close to kicking the door down on the Major League roster next season. A career .294 hitter since his start in professional baseball, Long has displayed the rare combination of bat-to-ball skills and power, evident in his 44 career homers and 175 RBIs. As good as Long was in 2023 and 2024, for that matter, the 2025 season was a season to remember for Long as he was one of the best, if not the best, hitter in the Iowa lineup this season. Not only did he finish the season with a .305 average, picking up 157 hits, but he also achieved this while adding a career-best 20 homers and 91 RBIs, becoming the first Iowa Cubs player since 2011 to reach the 90-RBI mark in a season. This was after hitting 17 homers and driving in 70 during the 2024 season, as the offensive trajectory for Long is through the roof. While many people expected big things from him this season, considering he crushed the ball during the Arizona Fall League last year, no one expected him to have the type of season he had, as he is now knocking on the door of a big-league opportunity. Had it not been for Moises Ballesteros having a strong year himself, Long could be on the MLB roster right now as a late-season bench bat. When you consider the season Long has had and his overall numbers so far, there is a lot to like about his game, which has many feeling he has what it takes to succeed in today's game. That all starts and ends with a high walk rate, as Long is no stranger to taking pitches to work counts while valuing a walk just as much as a hit. With the high walk rate comes a low-strikeout rate, which leads to his third and final notable trait: making tons of hard contact. The more patient you are, the more likely it is that you will see mistakes at the plate, and Long is one of those guys who makes the pitchers pay for their mistakes. While the offensive traits certainly get you excited about Long and the type of player he can become, other aspects of his game get overlooked, which include his defensive abilities at first base. From all accounts, Long is a great defensive first baseman, but he can also play third base. That defensive versatility could be huge for the Cubs next season, as you could platoon Long with Busch while also using him at third during the season just to get his bat in the lineup. Of all the Cubs players remaining in the Cubs' system, Long has the most intrigue and the biggest upside of them all, and it will be interesting to see how the Cubs handle him next season.
