Of all the Cubs prospects in their farm system, Owen Caissie, Moises Ballesteros, and Jaxon Wiggins are the three most talked about prospects. 

That makes sense, considering Caissie ranks No. 1, Ballesteros ranks No. 2, and Wiggins ranks No. 3 on the team’s prospect rankings at MLB Pipeline. Even prospects like Jefferson Rojas (No. 4), Kevin Alcantara (No. 5), and James Triantos (No. 10) get talked about quite a bit. 

But it’s time that fans get familiar with Jonathon Long.

It was announced on Monday that Long won the Buck O’Neil Cubs Minor League Player of the Year Award after a phenomenal 2025 season at Triple-A Iowa. He slashed .305/.404/.479 with 20 home runs, 91 RBI, and 79 walks across 140 games. 

Long is currently ranked No. 7 on the Cubs’ prospect rankings at MLB Pipeline, and this success in the Minor Leagues is nothing new for the 23-year-old. He also hit .283 with 17 home runs and 70 RBI across 114 games at High-A and Double-A in 2024. 

Given his recent success in the Minors, it begs the question of what the front office will do with him in 2026. 

Trade Him

The Cubs haven’t shied away from trading top prospects for a win-now player. They traded for Michael Busch before the 2024 season and then acquired Kyle Tucker before the 2025 season. As a result, the front office could easily use Long as a trade chip this offseason. 

He could eventually be an impact bat at the Major League level, but there is just nowhere for him to play right now. He primarily plays first base, but also saw reps at both third base and left field last year. 

That means he’ll be competing with Busch, Matt Shaw, and Caissie for their positions for years to come. With that in mind, Jed Hoyer could trade him in a package deal for a top-of-the-line starting pitcher. 

Keep Him In Triple-A

Long really exceeded expectations at Triple-A Iowa last season, totaling career-highs in batting average, home runs, doubles, RBI, and walks. In most cases, that’s enough to earn a spot on the team’s Opening Day roster. 

However, the Cubs could continue to give him consistent at-bats down at Triple-A to begin the 2026 season. With nowhere for him to play, there is very little incentive to give Long a roster spot when he would see limited at-bats every week. 

Keeping him in Triple-A would help with his development. He would see consistent at-bats every day, and the Cubs could eventually call him up in the second half of the season to bolster their bench. 

Michael Busch’s Backup 

For a portion of the 2025 season, the Cubs had Busch and Justin Turner plantooning at first base. Busch would start against right-handed pitching, while Turner would see some starts against left-handed pitching. 

With Turner gone, that first base right-handed bat to back up Busch is up for grabs next season. That role could easily be given to Long, who showed consistency at the plate throughout the 2025 Minor League season. 

This would ensure that Long gets consistent at-bats on some days and would give him some playing time each week. After hitting .305 with 20 home runs last year, this could be a real option for him heading into 2026.