Long collects career-high 5 hits amid scorching start to July
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Jonathon Long has shaken off a bit of a slow start to the 2026 season to return closer to his lofty standards at the plate, including a career night on Thursday.
Long, the Cubs’ No. 6 prospect, went deep as part of a career-high five-hit performance for Triple-A Iowa. Long and Iowa defeated St. Paul in a rout, 21-7, at Principal Park.
Long ripped a first-inning single at 109.9 mph, scoring later on an Owen Miller sacrifice fly. He then doubled off the center-field wall to lead off the third but was stranded at second base.
Long aided Iowa’s six-run fourth inning with his second hard-hit single of the night, lacing one at 106.1 mph through the middle of the diamond. That gave him his first of two RBIs on the day.
The 24-year-old first baseman then led off the sixth with his home run, sparking a three-run frame. He handled a 3-2 slider on the inside portion of the plate, pulling it 376 feet to left field at 100.8 mph.
Long’s fifth hit was his fourth hard-hit ball. He doubled on a 111.2 mph liner off the left-field wall in the seventh, driving in Brett Bateman.
And finally, as part of a nine-run eighth, Long walked and scored on a double from Miller. Long was 5-for-5 with five runs scored, surpassing his previous career-high of four, which he’d matched earlier this year.
Rated as MLB Pipeline’s sixth-best first base prospect, Long has been crushing to begin July with a .382/.447/.821 slash line in eight games, including three homers and six doubles. After dealing with an injury during Spring Training, his season OPS is now up to .792.