(KNSI) – History was made on Sunday at the Major League Baseball draft, and it comes with a central Minnesota connection.
Former St. Cloud Rox player Charlie Condon was taken third overall by the Colorado Rockies in the first round. Condon is the highest selection ever for a Northwoods League player. Condon is the fourth Rox alumnus chosen in the first round.
Condon was a league all-star in 2022, winning Most Valuable Player in the mid-season showcase thanks to a 3-3 performance with two home runs. For the season overall, he delivered 71 hits in 61 games. Condon drove in 68 thanks to a team-high 18 doubles and seven home runs.
Condon was a walk-on at the University of Georgia and, from humble beginnings, turned himself into the best player in college baseball. Condon did not play in a single game his freshman year. He was given a chance in St. Cloud with the Rox and parlayed that into an incredible 2023 collegiate season, during which he mashed 25 home runs for the Bulldogs.
And then 2024 was even better. Condon upped his batting average to .433 from .386, improved his walk rate, cut down on his strikeouts, and sent 37 balls over the fence as he registered 78 RBI. Condon’s home run mark was a national record in the modern era. He earned the Golden Spikes Award, college baseball’s version of the Heisman Trophy.
Condon is 6’6″ and can play various positions around the horn and in the outfield. He becomes the 87th Rox player to be drafted.
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