A 12th-round selection by the Reds in 2013, Long has a strong, compact frame with an athletic body. He went 2-for-2 in the game, using the entire field with good bat control, and he showed the ability to keep the barrel on plane and in the strike zone. In both at-bats he worked the count into his favor and showed solid plate discipline, which also plays out in his season stats as he’s put up .363, .371, and .380 OBP numbers over his last three full seasons. He has strength, loft, and leverage to his swing and shows above-average power potential while also hitting for average (.283 in 173 PAs, and.293 in 548 PA’s in past two seasons, up to .312 this year in 279 PA’s). His arm grades as average, and while the arm action is quick he’ll need to improve when throwing from angles, which is not an unexpected developmental point given that he is a converted catcher (since 2015) who is still getting up to speed on the nuances of playing second base, but he projects easily to an average glove and range with the athleticism to handle his new position. Long reminded me of a left-handed version of Devon Travis (2B, Blue Jays).
