Player Profile: Jonathon Long

August 22, 2023 by Sam Weiderhaft

August is a busy month in Single-A.

After the draft concludes in July, players will typically spend some time at the complex in Arizona before being sent to an affiliate. Going from college, to the draft, to professional baseball in the span of two months can be a roller coaster for some players. Myrtle Beach is most often the first stop for the newly drafted Cubs prospects.

Jonathon Long arrived to Pelicans Ballpark on August 8^th after playing three games in the Arizona Complex League. In his first game, he hit a solo home run in his third-at bat after missing a grand slam by a few feet earlier in the game.

“My first at-bat, I was a little excited and nervous going through the whole thing,” Long said. “After that, I was able to settle in and put together some solid at-bats moving forward.”

Less than a month earlier, Long was selected on the second day of the draft as the Cubs’ ninth-round selection, one round after now-Pelicans’ teammate Brett Bateman was taken.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” Long said. “The draft, you don’t really know what’s going on. I knew I was going on the second day, just waiting for a phone call.”

Professional baseball has now taken Long to an entirely different side of the country than what he is familiar with. The Orange, California native stayed home to play at Long Beach State for three years. He capped off his college career by being named to the All-Big West Second Team following his 2023 season where he hit .315 and launched 15 home runs after joining the Dirtbags as a walk-on prior to 2021. Long did spend the 2022 summer in the Cape Cod Baseball League, playing for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.

The 21-year-old’s main threat comes from his bat, where he finished with 26 career home runs at Long Beach State, ranking second in program history. That power was shown early after hitting a home run in his first game, he would follow that up with another solo shot in his next game.

“Continue what I’ve always been doing,” Long said, commenting on how he can make an impact in Myrtle Beach. “Hit for power, draw some walks, limit the strikeouts.”

Long has also shown his versatility in the field, playing six games at third base with two at first, a position the Pelicans have been trying different players out at all year.

He’s one of three position-player draft picks that joined the Pelicans around the same time, joining Bateman and 18th-round pick Brian Kalmer in Single-A. In the last three seasons, seven position players have made their way to Myrtle Beach shortly after the draft.

After a hectic few months, Long has stepped onto a team in hopes of capturing a fifth Carolina League title when the playoffs hit in September. His power from the middle of the lineup fits the theme of this season for Myrtle Beach as they lead the league in home runs with 86.

“I never would have imagined a month ago that I’d be here playing, it’s been kind of a surreal experience so far.”