Kent State slugger and Massillon Tigers product Aidan Longwell readies for MLB Draft

MASSILLON — By just about any measure, Aidan Longwell's 2023 season was outstanding.

The Massillon product batted .409, the highest average by a Kent State baseball player since 2001. His 75 RBIs led the Mid-American Conference and rank as the third most in Golden Flashes history. He did not commit a single error in 432 chances as a first baseman and pitcher.

And in his mind, this junior season was more of a breakthrough than some kind of peak.

"I've been telling people: I think my best baseball is way ahead of me," the 21-year-old Longwell said. "I think I'm just getting started."

Major League Baseball franchises might want to take note.

Longwell has a great chance to get selected in this year's MLB Draft, which begins Sunday night with the first two rounds. Rounds 3-10 will happen Monday, followed by rounds 11-20 on Tuesday to finish the draft.

It's difficult to predict when Longwell might hear his name called. Kent State head coach Jeff Duncan thinks the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Longwell will go in the first 10 rounds.

Whatever happens, the money and opportunity must make sense for Longwell to bypass his senior year with the Golden Flashes.

"It's got to be the right situation for me to go, which I think I'm going to get from what I've been hearing," said Longwell, who is being advised by agent Joe Speed during the draft process. "But coming back to school is always an option, especially if I don't get what I think I want."

Added Duncan, "I'll be really surprised if he's back here next year."

This season included first-team All-MAC and third-team All-American honors for Longwell. He was one of three finalists for the Rawlings Gold Glove Award at first base in all of Division I baseball.

Longwell, who throws and bats from the left side, totaled as many doubles as strikeouts (23 in 277 plate appearances) while also slugging 10 home runs.

Duncan loves Longwell's simple swing and terrific hand-eye coordination, using big-league comps such as Michael Brantley and Don Mattlingly to describe Longwell's style.

"There are so many guys that swing and miss so much that he puts himself in elite company," Duncan said. "Teams really like that. A team like the Yankees love guys that don't swing and miss. It's such a big thing in the big leagues. There's a need for guys like Aidan at that level."

Longwell already handles himself like a professional in terms of work ethic, discipline and poise, Duncan explains, calling him one of the most focused individuals he's ever coached.

"He is the straw that stirs the drink for a really good team and a really good program," said Duncan, whose Flashes went 42-16 this season and won the MAC regular-season championship. "There is no doubt about it, in the clubhouse and on the field, he's the stabilizer. I don't know if anyone beats him to the field each day. He's a machine."

There is something to Longwell's notion that his best baseball is still to come.

He devoted a lot of time to football in high school as Massillon's three-year starting quarterback. The program's all-time passing leader in yards, touchdowns, attempts and completions, Longwell led the Tigers to three straight regional championships and two state title game appearances. He held several Division I college offers for football coming out of high school.

Meanwhile, his baseball career has endured disruptions.

After starting as a freshman and sophomore at Massillon, Longwell missed almost all of his junior baseball season due to a shoulder injury, then had his entire senior baseball season wiped out because of COVID-19.

He appeared in 22 games as a Kent State freshman before starting all of the Golden Flashes' 103 games the past two seasons combined. The opportunity to settle into a consistent baseball groove has paid dividends. His eye-popping numbers as a junior improved from a sophomore season that included a .289 batting average with 11 doubles, eight home runs and 33 RBIs. His strikeouts dropped by 30 this season.

"I played in the Northwoods (League) last summer and got a ton of at-bats and played a ton of baseball," Longwell added. "I think that helped a lot, just getting those extra reps and being able to learn from all that experience. Then just continuing to develop, getting bigger and stronger and facing better competition throughout the summer and fall.

"And just playing with passion and confidence, I think that's another thing that I kind of changed this year. I played a little bit more freely, just enjoying the game more and having more fun each day."

And while pro teams are eyeing him as a hitter and position player, Longwell hasn't closed the book on his pitching career. He made five appearances this season (four starts), going 1-0 with a 1.45 ERA. He struck out 25 batters in 18.2 innings. Opponents batted .098 off him.

Said Longwell, "I always think that will be in my back pocket as something I can use."

Reach Josh at josh.weir@cantonrep.com 

On Twitter: @jweirREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: MLB Draft prospect: Kent State All-American Aidan Longwell