When the Cubs drafted Long Beach State first baseman Jonathon Long in the ninth round in 2023, the organization was confident he would hit in pro ball.
Long has proven his hit tool is legit, displaying his standout bat-to-ball skills as he has climbed through the system. This season at Triple-A Iowa, his bat is garnering more widespread attention.
Through the end of May, the 23-year-old hit .344/.419/.561 with a .979 OPS, nine home runs and 10 doubles in 52 games.
Iowa hitting coach Rachel Folden worked with Long at Double-A Tennessee last year in the same role and credits Long’s consistency in his demeanor, routine and approach to how he’s found success as he gets his first taste of Triple-A.
“He knows who he is as a player, so he knows what he’s good at. He knows the things that he needs to get better at,” Folden said. “Especially when you see him up at bat, he’s very good at doing what he’s good at.
“He’s very good at executing his plan, and I think that’s something that separates him from other hitters, probably in his draft class to be honest, is just the consistency and the self-awareness more than anything else.”
One of the biggest differences between Long from last season to this has been the uptick in his athleticism. He has been able to put in the daily work needed to develop his consistency while still staying fresh despite the number of doubleheaders Iowa has had to play already this year due to rain outs.
“He’s just learning as he goes,” Folden said. “He’s learning what pitches he can take some chances on. He does a really good job with game-planning and understanding how pitchers are going to attack him, and he’s just had more at-bats under his belt now.”