This quickly-rising Cubs prospect dubbed a 'diamond in the rough' by MLB.com

This year, it's been all eyes on the top of the Chicago Cubs' farm system - with Matt Shaw still viewed as the team's best hope at third, despite a disappointing first taste of MLB action, Moises Ballesteros stepping into the mix in a Kyle Schwarber-like fashion and Cade Horton gearing up for his first MLB start on Friday at Wrigley Field against the Chicago White Sox.

Things have been relatively quiet when looking past those two names, even when it comes to fellow top-100 talents like Kevin Alcantara, Owen Caissie and Jefferson Rojas. But outside of the top 100, former ninth-round pick Jonathan Long is making waves at Triple-A Iowa, drawing praise from the team at MLB.com in a recent roundup of 'diamonds in the rough' throughout Minor League Baseball.

The piece calls Long, 'the Cubs' best upper-level hitter who's not a Top 100 prospect,' singling out his bat speed, strength and 'selectively aggressive approach as his best tools,' which have played a direct role in an impressive .911 OPS at Triple-A Iowa this year. That performance comes on the heels of a monster showing in the Arizona Fall League last year, where he slashed .338/.425/.662 in 18 games.

Jonathan Long still needs a long-term home defensively

Long, 23, faces some similar hurdles to Ballesteros in the sense that few seem confident where he'll settle in defensively moving forward. He's primarily played first, but has also seen time at third and in the corner outfield - but MLB Pipeline notes he's graded out poorly at both of those spots. He just started to find a power stroke last year, hitting a career-high 17 home runs, but with Michael Busch at first, it's hard to see a long-term fit there.

Given the Cubs' current shortcomings at the hot corner, they'll surely keep working with Long at the position, even though his Iowa teammate Matt Shaw looks like he's still Chicago's best answer there. If he can prove he can hold his own at multiple positions in the first half, Long could make for an optimal call-up candidate as the Cubs eye a postseason push this summer - something we've talked about here in recent weeks.

It's nice to see some names outside the top 100 climbing the ranks. Facing a pivotal trade deadline where a blockbuster trade could be a real possibility, the Cubs' farm system, notoriously top-heavy, could lean into pieces like Long to address some of their biggest needs. Or, like I said: maybe he's a dark-horse candidate to play a role off the bench down the stretch. Time will tell.