Ever since he first put on a baseball glove and laced up his cleats at a young age, Charlie Condon has had the goal of reaching the professional level to live out his dream within a game he is most passionate about.

In 2024, Condon — a former St. Cloud Rox first baseman and outfielder — will likely have that opportunity presented to him when the 2024 MLB Draft takes place in July. And not only is he going to get that chance, but he could end up being the No. 1 overall pick selected in the draft.

“I think any kid that grows up around the game of baseball like I did always has some kind of aspiration to play professional baseball,” Condon said. “I remember going to Braves games as a kid and thinking it was the coolest thing ever, which still holds true today. However, it wasn’t until later in my baseball career that I really saw the possibility of it being a reality and that pushes me to be better every day.”

In mid-February, Condon began his redshirt sophomore season at the University of Georgia under head coach and former Minnesota Twins pitching coach Wes Johnson, kicking off the new year off on Feb. 16 in Athens, Georgia. He has since taken over college baseball while catching the eyes of every MLB team looking to add to their organization through the draft.

In 2024, Condon continues to build onto his already strong collegiate career as one of the top prospects in college baseball, a career that included a stop in St. Cloud a few summers ago.

All-Star Summer in St. Cloud

Before his career officially began at Georgia, Condon got his first taste of action against other top college talent with the Rox in 2022.

In St. Cloud, Condon made his mark right away while being one of the Rox players who were part of the team from day one through the final game of the year.

“He was there from opening day until the last day. I think that speaks to just who Charlie is,” said Rox Field Manager Nick Studdard, who was an assistant coach when Condon was in St. Cloud in 2022. “He loved the games on the bus, he loved the camaraderie of the team, he was always joking and having a fun time, and he was the same person at the ballpark every day. … And he was just as solid as they come.”

Right out of the gate, Condon took over the Northwoods League during an All-Star summer. In 61 games at either first base or in the outfield, Condon tallied a .286 batting average to go along with 71 hits, a team-best 68 RBI, team-high 18 doubles, 24 walks and seven home runs in a team-leading total of 248 at-bats. His 71 hits and seven home runs ranked second among Rox players that season.

“You have to remember, he redshirted his first year at the University of Georgia, so he didn’t get any playing time that year. He truly didn’t have any college experience up to that point,” Studdard said. “He was a guy that showed up to the ballpark every day. … He tore the cover off the baseball all summer long.”

“In the Northwoods League, you’re playing 72 games in 80 days. He didn’t miss an early session, he didn’t miss batting practice, he didn’t miss any of that. He was there for every single bit of it,” Studdard continued. “He had an incredible summer, and that’s kudos to the work he put in.”

Following that strong season, Condon earned himself appearances in both the 2022 Northwoods League All-Star Game as well as the Major League Dreams Showcase, impressing against some of the league’s brightest stars. Condon not only appeared in the All-Star Game that summer, but he took home the MVP award thanks to a 3-for-3 performance with two home runs in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.

“I remember being very excited to get out on the field in the Northwoods League after a full year of the redshirt process. I just tried to go out to the field everyday with the goal of just being me,” Condon said. “I won’t remember the Northwoods League because of any individual performance, but I will always remember the bus rides after wins and the awesome relationships I was able to make with our group of guys.”

Condon not only experienced success while in St. Cloud, but it was an experience he continues to look back on with fond memories, both of what he learned on the field and what he experienced with the team and Rox community.

“I absolutely loved my summer in St. Cloud with the Rox. I made so many friends with both teammates and also the coaching staff. I am still frequently in touch with a number of former teammates and all three of the coaches from that year’s staff,” Condon said. “I was truly blessed to be a part of such a special group and I will always remember the awesome crowds every night at Joe Faber Field.”

Having a Big Year in 2024

Ever since Condon first stepped on the field as a college baseball player in 2023, he has dominated the college game. A trend that took off in St. Cloud and one that has continued this season with his goals set high.

“The Northwoods League had a big role in my ability to hit the ground running once my redshirt freshman season started up. I had played a full summer season against good college competition and I was prepared to face the ups and downs of an entire season,” Condon said. “Baseball is a game of extreme highs and lows and the Northwoods League taught me how to be comfortable in my own skin. I had also put in a ton of work with my hitting coach back home, Zack Blonder, with Pinnacle Prospects. Without those guys I wouldn’t be half the player I am today.”

A season ago as a redshirt freshman, Condon put together one of the best freshman campaigns in Georgia Bulldogs history, ending the year with a .386 batting average along with 25 home runs and 67 RBI while helping his team to the SEC Tournament.

Condon was named Freshman of the Year by College Baseball, Baseball America, D1Baseball.com and NCBWA while being awarded as a NCBWA First Team All-American, Freshman Hitter of the Year and Freshman All-American. In one of the best conferences in baseball, Condon led the SEC in slugging percentage (.800) while ending with the second-best batting average en route to being named SEC Freshman of the Year, Freshman All-SEC and All-SEC Second Team by conference coaches.

“People really started to really figure out who Charlie Condon was (in St. Cloud in 2022) and what he could do. I think that just blossomed his confidence and his ability. … Then he goes out and had the year he had (at Georgia in 2023) and absolutely tears the cover off the baseball,” Studdard said. “And he does all of that in the SEC, the hardest conference in college baseball. … I think the Northwoods League and St. Cloud started that snowball effect. … I think St. Cloud gives you the confidence to say ‘hey, I can do this at the highest level’, and he has constantly shown he can do that.”

Though those accolades and accomplishments from a year ago are impressive, Condon didn’t want to settle or stop there. He wanted to continue to thrive in 2024 while making a name for himself, and he has done just that so far this season.

“Baseball is a demanding game. I love how you have to stay actively trying to improve or else you will start going in the wrong direction. Seeing hard work pay off on the field with my teammates is one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever felt,” he said. “I strive to be as great as I can as a baseball player to help our team win, but I also try to strive to be as great of a person as I can be so that people want to share the field with me. Baseball has brought me so many great memories and relationships and I will never turn my back on that.”

Nearing the end of March, Condon has been tearing the cover off the baseball with the Bulldogs. In 25 games through March 25, the redshirt sophomore holds an eye-popping batting average of .517 to go along with a slugging percentage of 1.170, both of which rank the best in the country. Condon has also tallied 46 hits (tied for best in the country), 39 runs scored (tied for fourth in the country), 37 RBI (tied for fourth in the country), 25 walks, 17 home runs (best in the country), nine doubles and two steals. Defensively, he has played errorless baseball at both first base and in the outfield for Georgia.

With his performance thus far, he is the frontrunner to earn the Golden Spikes Award in 2024, an award annually handed out to the top player in college baseball.

“Somehow and someway, his name appears somewhere saying ‘Charlie Condon did this again, Charlie Condon did that again’,” Studdard said. “We’re all super excited for him, but we all knew (his talent) when we saw it every day.”

Condon is on pace for an impressive season, and those around the game are taking notice of Condon and his talents. At the start of the 2024 season, Condon was listed as the fourth-best college prospect by MLB.com and D1baseball.com, placing his name among the top college prospects to watch during the upcoming MLB Draft. In less than a month, he has risen up those prospect rankings while being projected as the No. 1 overall pick in the first in-season MLB Mock Draft by Baseball America.

“It’s an honor to be considered a part of a group of so many talented players. It’s something I have worked extremely hard for but have also had a ton of help from so many different people to help me get here. It is an awesome recognition, but it isn’t just a reflection of me, it’s a reflection of everybody that has helped me along the way to get me in a position to have success,” Condon said. “I will always be thankful for everyone that has ever helped me advance my dream of playing baseball for as long as I can.”

If — or rather when — Condon is selected atop the draft, it would mark the second straight year where a Rox player was taken in the first round. Condon would join Brice Matthews (2021-22), who was selected 28^th overall by the Houston Astros in the 2023 MLB Draft. Condon would also become the third Rox players to be selected in the first round in the last six years, joining Matthews and Michael Busch, who played on the Rox Championship team in 2017 and was selected in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Like what Condon displayed in St. Cloud during his stellar summer with the Rox, he continues to impress early on in his collegiate career. And as his career progresses, he is one step closer to accomplishing his ultimate goal of one day stepping on the field at the MLB level — and potentially being a top pick in the draft to go along with it.

“It is really hard for me to put it into words right now. It’s something I’ve spent so much time dreaming about and working towards, that it would likely be very surreal,” Condon said of one day reaching the MLB. “I will continue to push to make my lifelong dream a reality. I am in it for the journey and the lessons I learn along the way, not just the destination.”