No more of Lucy pulling the football from Charlie.
It is time for the Rockies to go all in on Condon.
Charlie Condon, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft, is ready for his big league call-up in September. And if they want to do it sooner — like next Monday against the world champion Dodgers — even better.
This sounds like malpractice to those who understand the value of 40-man roster spots and know the ramifications of the looming lockout. We can dive into the fine print on that in a moment.
The present cannot be ignored.
After breaking his wrist in his first pro game, after struggling to find his footing last season, Condon has established himself as an elite slugger and solid hitter in Triple-A.
There is nothing left for him to prove with the Albuquerque Isotopes. Heading to The Show makes the most sense for this development.
“We want Charlie to be dangerous, a power threat and a run producer. He has had a really good year, and gotten back to his calling card in the batter’s box,” general manager Josh Byrnes told The Denver Post. “He doesn’t chase. He has demonstrated the ability to map out different plans for the pitchers he has faced, and shown he can play outfield and first base.”
So, what is the problem? Timing.
The Rockies are weighing the side effects of a work stoppage against the value of exposing Condon to big league pitching as the franchise focuses on building up its core moving forward.
Condon, by any measure, will be part of that group. He is ready.
“That’s the goal. And not just to get to the big leagues and chill there, but to eventually become a middle-of-the-order bat. Deep down inside, even through the struggles I have had in my minor league career, I have always believed that is what I was working for. I know who I am as a player and what the game calls for me to do,” Condon told The Post after batting practice in Oklahoma City on Wednesday. “It would be exciting to get the call. But I can’t lose sleep over something out of my control.”
In baseball, if you want income you can’t focus on outcome.
Condon has embraced the process to achieve success. In the season’s first two months, spanning 48 games, he clubbed 21 extra-base hits, including eight home runs, while hitting .262 with a .391 on-base percentage and .861 OPS.
Over the last 50 games, he boasts 26 extra-base hits with 14 home runs, batting .294 with a .399 OBP and 1.002 OPS.
As for his swing decisions, they are good ones. His strikeout rate is 25.1%, while he is walking at a 13% clip.
“In this game you don’t get paid to work hard. You get paid to work hard and produce. But you can’t force it,” Condon said. “My plan for this year was to be consistent and ready to play every day. It is the mindset I have to have and I got fully behind it.”
It has left him on the doorstep.
It took an injury for Zac Veen to get promoted before September because the Rockies’ two best hitting outfielders are left-handed. There is an obvious spot for Condon to get at-bats as the starting right fielder.
And if he needs a breather, rest him against tough righties.
The runway is clear after this weekend. There will be fewer than 45 days remaining in the season. So, as long as he does not exceed 130 at-bats, Condon will retain his rookie status in 2027.
Big deal? Yeah, it is.
Per the 2022 collective bargaining agreement, if a player wins Rookie of the Year — and Condon will have more than a puncher’s chance if he plays everyday and half his games at Coors Field — his team receives a sandwich draft pick after the first round.
That is a remarkable incentive, if not catnip, to send Condon to the bigs. Let him wade into the deep end. Let him sink. Let him swim.
Getting at-bats will create a roadmap for his offseason, a way to accelerate his progress based on real-life experience.
Believing Condon can win Rookie of the Year is presumptuous, but he has the talent to pull it off.
Have you seen him? He is 6-foot-5, 216 pounds with room to add weight. He has levers longer than a slot machine. There are 30 home run seasons in his future.
If the Rockies bring up Condon, it will be applauded.
But not in all circles.
There is risk involved because of the anticipated lockout when the CBA expires on Dec. 1. Across baseball, front offices will face the uncomfortable question of whether to place top prospects on the 40-man roster or slow play promotions to protect their long-term development.
Condon does not have to be added this offseason. It means the Rockies could keep him in the minors and use his 40-man spot for another prospect who must be protected, a reasonable conversation for an organization in the throes of a rebuild.
Of course, that will be about as popular with fans as eating left-out Rocky Mountain oysters. But the argument has merit.
Why? If Condon goes onto the 40-man, he becomes part of the lockout. He can no longer use the team’s Salt River Fields facility in the offseason. He would be ineligible to participate in spring training or minor league games if those start while MLB remains on ice.
It is something to consider.
But there are more reasons to be bold, to bring him to Denver. Condon turns 24 in April. He has earned a reputation as coachable, self-motivated, and hardworking. There is no reason to think he could not prepare well by working out at the University of Georgia or a place of that ilk.
Condon has checked the boxes. He deserves big-league at-bats, not to be penalized for getting caught up in the labor vortex of the owners vs. players.
“Oh man, they always talk about never play GM in this game. That means you sure as heck can’t play commissioner. I leave that to those people,” Condon said. “My job is to do my job, then see what happens.”
Talking with Condon, his maturity is obvious. He has the desirable blend of humility and confidence. But it can’t be easy knowing that he and Nationals Triple-A shortstop Seaver King are the only players drafted in the top 10 in 2024 who have not reached the big leagues.
That list includes Kansas City slugger Jac Caglianone, who was mocked to Colorado in some drafts, and has 21 home runs this season.
“Everybody has their own timeline. It is something I have had to preach to myself since high school, when I was under-recruited, waiting for college opportunities, when all my buddies had them. But you don’t want to be sour about it. When people have good things going, you should be happy for them,” Condon said. “Jac is a great buddy of mine. I am actually going to his wedding this offseason.”
If the Rockies are still discussing the Condon decision, this should end the debate. The kid gets it. He can be trusted to continue his development during a lockout, meaning the math works.
The 120 at-bats are worth more than saving a 40-man roster spot.
