At the end of the 2024 season, Jonathon Long appeared to be little more than … well … a longshot. An afterthought. An underappreciated talent.
Just one year later, Long may have turned himself into an important piece that could make the Chicago Cubs the team to beat in 2026.
A ninth-round pick out of Long Beach State in 2023, Long arrived in the Cubs’ system without the hype of a top prospect, a “hitter in search of a position” more than a cornerstone-in-the-making. Long put together a solid season split between High-A South Bend and Double-A Tennessee in 2024, posting an overall slash line of .283/.391/.461 with 17 home runs and 70 RBIs, and yet he was left off the Cubs’ top 30 prospect list, registering little more than a mention in various “under-the-radar” player features.
But Long’s progress in 2025 was just too good to ignore. In 140 games for Triple-A Iowa, the 23-year-old slashed .305/.404/.479 with a .883 OPS, mashing 23 doubles and 20 home runs with 91 RBIs, and on Monday, Baseball America announced that Long was named the Cubs’ 2025 Minor League Player of the Year.
Jonathon Long Named Cubs’ 2025 Minor League Player of the Year
What stood out wasn’t just the raw numbers, but the growth. Long’s strikeout rate dipped, his walk rate climbed, and he showed the ability to adjust to higher-level pitching. Scouts lauded his short, powerful swing and ability to stay inside the ball against velocity. For a player who once seemed like he might top out as organizational depth, the leap was undeniable.
For the Cubs, however, that leap may have created a logjam.
While Long’s main position is first base, he has also seen time at third base, but Chicago already has long-term options at both spots. First baseman Michael Busch entrenched himself as a legitimate middle-of-the-order threat this season. And at third, rookie Matt Shaw has overcome his early struggles and is displaying the skills that made him a first-round draft pick. So where does Long play?
That’s where his value may shift from field to front office.
After missing the playoffs for four straight seasons, Chicago has earned a postseason bid in 2025, albeit with a starting rotation that is a bit more patchwork than shutdown. However, with Justin Steele returning in 2026 from Tommy John surgery to rejoin a staff that includes Shota Imanaga and Rookie of the Year candidate Cade Horton, the Cubs already have a trio on tap that could terrorize opposing batters.
But what if they could add one more dominant arm? And the biggest name potentially available this offseason might be Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara.
Jonathon Long’s Breakout Could Make Him a Key Trade Chip For Chicago
After Tommy John surgery wiped out his 2024 season, Alcantara’s second half of 2025 has been a return to form. The fastball is humming again in the high 90s. The devastating changeup looks like a Bugs Bunny pitch. He finally looks like the same guy who took home the 2022 NL Cy Young Award.
That makes him the kind of arm every contender wants. And the Cubs could make as strong a pitch as anyone.
Imagine a trade package built around Long — a versatile, big-league-ready bat — along with outfielder Kevin Alcantara, a tooled-up prospect who still carries star upside, and Triple-A right-hander Will Sanders, a big-bodied 2023 draftee who profiles as a back-end starter. For Miami, that’s a serious return: two position players who could slot into the lineup soon and a young arm to balance it. For Chicago, it’s the kind of deal that transforms a good staff into a nightmare rotation.
If the Cubs rolled into 2026 with Steele, Imanaga, Horton, and Alcantara as their first four, you’re talking about a playoff rotation that could stack up against anyone. Power arms, contrasting looks, and the depth to shorten games for the bullpen. It’s the type of group that wins divisions and survives October.
Sure, moving Long would sting, especially after a breakout that made him feel like a homegrown success story. But timing is everything. With Busch at first and Shaw at third, his best path to the majors may not be in Chicago. Instead, he could become the trade chip that delivers exactly what the Cubs need most.
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