Georgia’s Charlie Condon: Potential No. 1 Draft Pick

The Major League Baseball draft is almost here.

On July 14, the Cleveland Guardians will make their first-ever top pick. Recently, we looked at their options and noted that Travis Bazzana from Oregon State is a popular choice for Ethan Purser, the new scouting director. However, if they follow our pre-draft rankings instead, Georgia’s Charlie Condon would be the pick.

Condon has improved his stock more than anyone else this year. Initially seen as a second-tier player who needed a strong season to break into the top 10, he proved himself with stellar performances. Scouts had doubts about his hitting abilities due to a poor showing in the Cape Cod League (.648 OPS in 11 games), but he turned things around dramatically.

1. Stellar Performance Against Top Teams

Drafting well is tough and mastering it is impossible . Over time, teams have developed ways to better evaluate players by focusing on how they perform against strong competition. Dominating weaker opponents is good, but excelling against top-tier rivals gives better clues about future success among professionals.

Playing in the SEC gave Condon an edge because it’s known as the best college baseball conference. His stats were impressive: .433/.556/1.009 with 37 home runs and many extra-base hits this season. In SEC games alone, he hit .412/.533/.983 with 19 home runs across 30 games and walked more times than he struck out while consistently hitting balls hard.

Fans might think this makes him a solid choice for any team looking for reliable talent.

Condon’s performance was unmatched in SEC play; his OPS of 1.517 was significantly higher than anyone else’s, making him arguably the most productive player there—a promising sign for his professional prospects.

2. Unexpected Defensive Skills

Condon didn’t just shine offensively; he also exceeded expectations on defense despite playing third base for the first time in college and covering all outfield spots including center field for 11 games. He did so well that he might start his pro career at third base, offering potential defensive value.

However, it’s common for teams to try new draftees at different positions even if they don’t expect them to stay there long-term. A team eager to get Condon into their lineup quickly might move him to another corner spot instead.

If Condon becomes a regular third baseman in MLB at his height of 6-foot-6, he’d be making history as the tallest ever at that position according to Baseball Reference’s database—taller even than Alec Bohm (6-foot-5) or Kris Bryant before moving positions.

3. The Balanced Choice

This year’s draft class has about twelve standout prospects according to experts—each with their own strengths and weaknesses debated among scouts . Bazzana is seen as physically maxed-out which worries some scouts; meanwhile Condon offers a balanced mix of attributes making him something like a “Goldilocks” option—not too much or too little of anything but just right overall!

Comparing Condon with other top hitters: he’s got more power than Bazzana or JJ Wetherholt; better plate discipline compared to Jac Caglianone and Braden Montgomery; likely more defensive versatility than Nick Kurtz; plus being from college makes him seem “safer” compared to high schoolers Bryce Rainer or Konnor Griffin (and even pitchers Chase Burns & Hagen Smith).

Building preference lists involves comparing players’ pros & cons—and when you add up all these factors along with how much he’s improved this season—it’s easy why Charlie Condon tops our rankings now!

What do you think? Is Charlie Condon worth being number one?