Link to Article on The Red & Black
By Olivia Sayer
Georgia redshirt sophomore Charlie Condon (24) celebrates his single during the final game of the NCAA Athens Regional between Georgia Tech and Georgia at Foley Field in Athens, Georgia, on Sunday, June 2, 2024. Georgia won 8-6. (Photo/Mady Mertens; MadyMertensPhotography)
No. 24’s time on the diamond at Foley Field has come to an end, as the Colorado Rockies made Charlie Condon the No. 3 overall pick Sunday night in the 2024 MLB Draft. Before officially beginning his professional career, the Georgia slugger made one last piece of history.
Condon is Georgia baseball’s highest draftee. The status was previously held by Jeff Pyburn, who the San Diego Padres selected No. 5 overall in the 1980 draft. The Golden Spikes Award winner is also Georgia’s first first-rounder since the Seattle Mariners picked Emerson Hancock sixth in 2020.
Condon’s selection gives head coach Wes Johnson back-to-back first rounders, as he helped coach former LSU pitcher Paul Skenes to becoming MLB’s top prospect last season. Skenes has since excelled in the majors and was recently named the National League’s starting pitcher for the All-Star Game.
Although they play different positions, Johnson sees similarities between the two budding superstars.
“It’s more mental,” Johnson said of where Condon and Skenes stand out. “They have a different mind [and] want to challenge themselves daily. When they do that, you know if they don’t get the result they always want, they understand that they’re going to get better because of the challenge.”
The word “challenge” perfectly encapsulates the beginning of Condon’s career as a Bulldog. Arguably Georgia’s most prolific player, he did not begin as a superstar. The Marietta-native walked on to Georgia, after almost becoming a dual-sport athlete at Rhodes College, a division three school in Tennessee.
Despite the lack of offers, Condon always believed he could play at a caliber-level of Georgia. However, he would not say teams overlooked him in the recruiting process due to his physical stature and needed development.
“I don’t necessarily feel like I was wronged,” Condon told the Pipeline Podcast. “I wasn’t the caliber player that I am today. I always knew I was going to be a late bloomer, so I knew it was going to take a little more time.”
Determined to play college baseball, Condon sat at his kitchen counter, emailing coaches videos of him playing the game. Eventually, Georgia came calling, and although it was not on scholarship, the Bulldogs offered Condon the opportunity of a lifetime.
“I got that phone call, and the world stopped turning for a second,” Condon told the SEC Network. “That was the day I placed the bet on myself.”
Condon impressed from the minute he stepped on campus. However, with the NCAA issuing an extra ‘Covid year’ of eligibility, Georgia’s crowded roster did not have room for a 6-foot-5, 200-pound freshman, even if he was hitting eye-popping home runs in batting practice.
“I saw this big, tall physical kid,” Corey Collins said of his first impressions of the No. 1 overall pick. “The first live [at-bats] happened, and he hit a home run, and I said ‘is he going to be on the roster?’ And someone said no, and I was like ‘huh, alright.’”
After Condon received the news of his redshirting, he did what he always does — go to work. He used the opportunity to build strength and observe the college game.
“It was a hard pill to swallow when I first got [redshirted] because I felt like I had proven myself and proved I could be a contributor,” Condon told ESPN. “Once I accepted it, I realized there was probably going to be a silver lining somewhere along the way. I knew there was going to be a spot for me, if I trusted the process and kept getting better.”
The results were stunning. In his first season playing, Condon captured the team’s triple crown and earned National Freshman of the Year honors from multiple outlets. His success set him up for an offseason full of decisions.
With the new era of NIL, most believed Condon should capitalize on his success by entering the transfer portal. With factors such as Georgia’s firing of head coach Scott Stricklin — who missed the NCAA Tournament with a 29-27 record — and the best teams only a phone call away, it would have been understandable for Condon to explore his options.
However, he did not see it as such.
“Not turning my back on the university that gave me a chance out of high school,” Condon said. “Georgia was my only opportunity to play college baseball, officially. The development, resources and all the time and effort the staff and teammates have put into developing my career wasn’t something I was ready to turn my back on. I love this place, and I feel really comfortable playing here.”
Condon opted to stay with the Bulldogs in what many considered a rebuilding year with first-year head coach Wes Johnson. The season quickly turned into anything but, as Georgia finished by hosting its first Super Regional in 16 years.
Condon was a large part of the Bulldogs’ success, leading the team in almost every offensive category. Both his 62 career home runs and 37 single season one’s broke the Georgia records, while the latter set the new mark for homers in the BBCOR era of college baseball.
In the field, Condon played first base, third base and all three outfield positions. His versatility allowed Johnson to get Georgia’s strongest bats in the lineup, which set new school records for home runs and grand slams.
More importantly to Condon than statistics, he was a guy his teammates enjoyed being around.
“I’ve always said that good things happen to good people, and he’s a great person,” Collins said. “His work ethic, his attitude towards the game, his outlook towards it and his faith that he has [are] all great aspects of what he is on and off the field.”
Being the No. 3 overall pick can come with unnecessary pressure and expectations. However, through his time in the red and black, Condon showed how pressure is a privilege.
“I’ve never seen anybody handle it off the field as gracefully as he has,” Johnson said. “You won’t ever find another Charlie Condon, at least in my time, in my coaching career.”
Condon will not be the only Bulldog to hear his name called during the draft. Rounds three through 20 will air on MLB.com beginning at 2 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday with plenty of Georgia standouts still on the board.