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Georgia third baseman Charlie Condon is the D1Baseball Participant of the Yr.
Condon, who was additionally introduced because the Golden Spikes Award winner on Saturday, had a really historic season for the Bulldogs. He hit 37 dwelling runs, tied for fifth-most ever in a school baseball season, and probably the most since Lance Berkman and Brandon Larson reached the 40-homer mark in 1997. Condon additionally led the nation in batting (.433), slugging (1.009) and OPS (1.565) whereas rating third in on-base proportion (.556). He added 20 doubles and 78 RBIs whereas strolling 57 occasions in opposition to simply 41 strikeouts. And he improved defensively, discovering a house at third base. Alongside the way in which, Condon led Georgia again to the NCAA match, the place the Bulldogs earned a top-eight nationwide seed and gained the Athens Regional.
Earlier Winners
| 2023 | Paul Skenes, LSU |
| 2022 | Ivan Melendez, Texas |
| 2021 | Kevin Kopps, Arkansas |
| 2020 | None |
| 2019 | Adley Rutschman, Oregon State |
| 2018 | Brady Singer, Florida |
| 2017 | Brendan McKay, Louisville |
| 2016 | Will Craig, Wake Forest |
| 2015 | Dansby Swanson, Vanderbilt |
Condon’s outstanding school profession additionally included the D1Baseball Freshman of the Yr award in 2023, when he hit 25 homers and posted a 1.284 OPS as a redshirt freshman — after he sat out 2022 whereas adjusting to school baseball. Again in April, our Mark Etheridge instructed the story of Condon’s unbelievable rise from evenly recruited “projection man” to one of the completed gamers within the historical past of school baseball. Right here is Etheridge’s story:
Persistence, diligence rework former walk-on Condon into star
Unique publication date: April 17, 2024
“It’s work ethic, high-level character, and expertise,” the coach mentioned. “You place all these issues collectively, and also you get Charlie Condon.”
The coach making that assertion ought to know. He coached Condon in 2022 and 2023. Because the Georgia head baseball coach from 2014 to 2023, Scott Stricklin took an opportunity on a tall, skinny two-sport athlete from Marietta, Ga., with no different D1 affords—not simply SEC affords, thoughts you, however no curiosity north of Division III.
A number of of us should be kicking themselves immediately.
That tall, skinny teen has made himself into one of many preeminent gamers within the sport and a high contender for the Golden Spikes Award. He’s created a buzz all through school baseball and is on tempo to interrupt the Georgia profession dwelling run mark set by Gordon Beckham at 53. And Condon, who already has 49, would do it in simply two seasons.
So, how did an unrecruited, slim younger man flip into the participant MLB golf equipment covet?
Let’s begin with the start at The Walker School, a small personal establishment in suburban Atlanta close to the newbie baseball Mecca of East Cobb.
As a star prep athlete, Condon deliberate to play soccer and baseball at Rhodes Faculty. That was his best choice.
Till it wasn’t.
“There wasn’t a lot to his recruitment,” mentioned Stricklin. “His junior yr was COVID. Nobody was in a position to see him play. He had gone by way of an damage. He was on 6-4-3 out of Atlanta and wasn’t even on their high staff. He wasn’t on anyone’s radar. He was tall and lanky and wasn’t sturdy sufficient.”
Then Condon bought a break. Generally, breaks go in opposition to you, and different occasions, they fall in your favor. Condon seized his probability and turned that break right into a life-changing alternative.
“Within the fall of his senior yr, a coach for 6-4-3 and a pal of mine referred to as me to inform me about him,” Stricklin mentioned. “My pal mentioned, ‘He’s a Georgia child, he desires to go to Georgia however proper now, he’s going to Rhodes Faculty and play baseball and presumably soccer.’ My pal instructed me, ‘He can get in on his personal and he’s a very good scholar. He would like to go to Georgia. He simply desires an opportunity.’ There weren’t any guarantees. He was a real walk-on.”
Condon defined how top-of-the-line gamers within the sport immediately was not an enormous recruit in 2021. Or, frankly, any recruit in any respect.
“With my path, I used to be form of a late bloomer,” mentioned Condon. “I additionally performed soccer (as a quarterback) so that you don’t have these fall seasons. The one time you’re seen is within the spring if you end up enjoying single-A non-public ball. It’s a must to reap the benefits of your summers and present on the market.”
Condon didn’t precisely blow recruiters away. And whereas he at present seems to be a recruiting miss in a world the place hardly anybody falls by way of the cracks, he didn’t agree with that notion. With the self-awareness of a a lot older man, Condon supplied this nugget.
“I by no means say that I used to be wronged in my recruiting course of,” Condon continued. “I wasn’t close to the participant I’m immediately. Simply trusting that course of, when COVID hit, and figuring out I might enhance and get higher. For some time it was wanting like I used to be going to take twin function at D3 tutorial and play soccer and baseball, however I all the time simply wished to play baseball at as excessive a stage as I might. When Coach Stricklin got here round with the supply to be a most well-liked walk-on within the SEC in a HOPE state, it was a no brainer for me.”
Generally, these teaching connection suggestions repay. Different occasions, there’s purchaser’s regret. On this case, Stricklin had a very good feeling about Condon as quickly as he noticed him play.
“We noticed him play within the spring of his senior yr, ” mentioned Stricklin. “He was nonetheless underweight and wasn’t sturdy sufficient, however we thought he could possibly be fairly good.”
Arriving in Athens
Then, within the fall of 2021, Condon appeared as an unheralded freshman in Athens. He confirmed up prepared for lessons, prepared for baseball, and able to grind.
“What we discovered about Charlie when he bought to Georgia was a excessive stage of labor ethic,” mentioned Stricklin. “Excessive stage form of child that you really want in your staff as far his requirements and he had a number of expertise.”
They needed to resolve what to do with Condon. Many gamers wrestle to realize weight through the season, and the employees wasn’t satisfied he was sturdy sufficient to excel at his true freshman energy. Stricklin got here to the teenager with a plan to align the physique with the expertise.
“He redshirted,” mentioned Stricklin. “He jumped on board with it. His dad and mom jumped on board with it. We talked in regards to the plan to placed on 20 kilos, elevate weights, and go play within the Northwoods League and get 300 at-bats and see what occurs. Charlie dealt with it the correct means. He labored actually laborious. He’s the overall bundle. All of it went the way in which we hoped it might.”
However how can a participant with that apparent expertise sit out his total first season? Stricklin noticed it as an funding, one Condon purchased into. They each knew Condon was a walk-on with scholarship potential, however he wanted so as to add extra muscle to succeed in these objectives.
“He was 6-foot-5 and 195 kilos,” mentioned Stricklin. “He had bat velocity. You could possibly see that, however he wanted to get stronger.”
“Within the fall, Coach Stricklin let me know that we had so many guys coming back from COVID years or not getting the draft numbers that they wished, that we had been going to be too deep in spots,” mentioned Condon. “It was going to be a redshirt yr for me.”
He didn’t panic, pout, or portal.
Condon attacked the burden room with the identical ferocity he at present assaults SEC pitchers. He made strides however nonetheless had a protracted strategy to go. Some gamers may take into account redshirting beneath them, however not Condon, who used the expertise to develop his physique and psychological energy.
“When he got here in in January, ” Stricklin mentioned, “there’s no query he might have performed as a freshman, however we had already made that call. He dealt with it completely. The adversity that he handled through the COVID yr. He didn’t get a number of visibility. Exhibiting as much as school. Sitting out his freshman yr. He by no means blinked. He simply labored tougher. He’s the place he’s due to the way in which he has dealt with adversity.”
Condon continued to elevate. He went to class. He lifted some extra. He added weight and energy. He stayed engaged with the baseball staff, however his focus wasn’t on doubles and residential runs however on enhancing his physique so these extra-base hits would come later.
“I bought to campus my freshman yr, and I attempted to take it a day at a time,” mentioned Condon. I form of needed to show myself as a man who was not a scholarship man out of highschool or a extremely recruited man in our class. I needed to deal with enterprise within the classroom and as soon as intrasquads rolled round.”
Then Condon lastly bought some scrimmage time and had some success, which helped him show his progress and made him marvel if he might assist the staff instantly.
“That was a bit irritating for me contemplating how I had performed within the fall,” admitted Condon. “There have been loads of areas of my sport that wanted to get higher. As soon as I accepted that this was the trail for me, I simply made probably the most of it. I bought within the weight room and tried to place some weight on. I continued to get school at-bats with intrasquads.”
The coaches acknowledged what that they had and rewarded Condon, ensuring everybody knew the longer term was vivid for the budding slugger.
“We knew by the tip of his freshman yr when he was having dwell at-bats, this man goes to be actually good,” Stricklin defined. “We put him on scholarship. We talked to him and his dad and mom and mentioned, ‘You will have dealt with this about in addition to you might have. You’re on scholarship subsequent yr.’ That put them extra relaxed that every little thing could be the way it wanted to be.”
So, what did Condon do as he gained that weight? As a result of many gamers across the nation would like to emulate his path.
“Along with lifting, I centered on my motion effectivity and ensuring my swing is in a great place,” mentioned Condon. “To maneuver quick rotationally. I proceed to stay to my course of.”
“He gained good weight,” Stricklin mentioned. “He misplaced some when he went to the Northwoods League. He bought loads stronger. Gamers can let you know if you end up enjoying it’s laborious to take care of weight, not to mention achieve weight.”
“I confirmed as much as campus about 195 kilos and bought as much as 210 by my sophomore yr,” Condon mentioned. “I’m a bit bit greater than that now (listed at 216). I’ve tried to placed on as a lot as I can of fine weight, about 12-15 kilos.”
Condon bought to play summer season ball within the Northwoods League and play precise video games as a substitute of simply lifting and working towards. He bought the dwell reps he missed whereas redshirting. His endurance and acceptance of the plan had been displaying dividends. The summer season additionally served as a maturation course of for him. He bought away from dwelling – farther than Marietta to Athens – and needed to deal with his bodily and psychological improvement.
“I bought 270-something at-bats, which was greater than I had gotten up to now,” Condon mentioned. “It was lengthy bus rides. It was displaying as much as the sphere every single day. In case you had been on the highway with a five-hour bus journey the evening earlier than, having the ability to get up and get going the subsequent day was actually good at growing the device of flipping the script. Understanding that you’ve to have the ability to present as much as the yard with a clean slate every single day. Getting snug in my very own pores and skin was huge.”
Again to high school prepared to interrupt out
When Condon returned for the autumn of 2023 for his redshirt freshman season, the coaches felt that that they had one thing particular.
“We knew he was going to have an opportunity to have an important yr,” mentioned Stricklin. “We thought he would have an opportunity to be a 15-home run man.
“He hit 25.”
“Charlie is a very humble child. I keep in mind speaking to him late final yr and asking, ‘Did you assume you’d be right here?’ He laughed and mentioned, ‘No means, coach.’ He was in disbelief, too.”
Condon set the SEC freshman dwelling run report in 2023 with these 25 dingers. He’s now one of many high gamers within the sport and is projected as a possible high general choose on this summer season’s draft.
However nearly as good as Condon was, Georgia didn’t make the postseason in 2023, and Georgia moved on from Stricklin. In got here a brand new coach, Wes Johnson, who had coached stars like Dylan Crews, Paul Skenes, and Tommy White as an assistant on LSU’s 2023 nationwide title squad.
It additionally meant that, within the days when gamers can switch with out sitting out, Condon could possibly be one of many high free brokers within the sport if he selected to be.
Nonetheless, leaving wasn’t a part of his plan. Condon stayed at Georgia, coming again for this third season in Athens for the 2024 season.
“It by no means actually was a thought to cross my thoughts to go away Georgia and play ball some place else,” mentioned Condon. “With my background, the College of Georgia was the one faculty to present me an opportunity to play baseball in school. I’m not going to ever flip my again to that. I understand how grateful I used to be for a college of such a excessive caliber put to a lot into my improvement. I nonetheless owe loads to this program and this faculty. I’m actually snug enjoying within the Purple and Black and there’s no different faculty I might wish to signify.”
Condon’s return served as a key constructing block for Johnson, who was concerned with not solely the house run stroke but in addition the athleticism and make-up. Johnson described the privilege of writing Condon’s identify on the day by day lineup card.
“It’s much like when (LSU head coach) Jay (Johnson) would write Paul Skenes’ identify each Friday,” mentioned Johnson. “You knew you’d have a really excessive probability to win the ballgame. You knew there was a very good probability the man would go six or seven innings and save your bullpen for the remainder of the weekend. There was a consolation there. That’s what it’s like to jot down Charlie’s identify on the lineup card.”
“Nice child, nice scholar, nice household,” added Johnson. “Complete bundle. Skenes was the overall bundle. They’re very comparable.”
“It’s such a rarity to discover a child who’s so humble, but so proficient,” mentioned Stricklin.
Condon has gotten off to an unbelievable begin. Georgia has 94 dwelling runs (second behind Tennessee’s 95 going into Tuesday), feeding the bushes past the Foley Subject outfield wall. Condon has an astounding 24 of these in solely 36 video games. Increasing that common over a 56-game season, Condon would hit 36 dwelling runs in 2024. And if the Bulldogs get sufficient video games within the postseason, Condon might creep as much as the 40 dwelling run mark, which nobody has executed since Lance Berkman in 1997. It’s 2024, in case you had been questioning. Condon is on a historic tempo that hasn’t been seen in 27 years.
What makes Condon so harmful?
This raises the apparent query: How is Condon mashing pitches when groups attempt to restrict the hittable pitches he sees?
“His pitch recognition is thru the roof,” mentioned Johnson. “We work at it loads. I name it extra plate self-discipline. This man is aware of the strike zone so effectively. In my time with the Twins, it allowed me to see the very best hitters at that stage, that are the very best hitters on the earth. They’ve an entire understanding of the strike zone. Charlie has that. He’s taking shut pitches and dealing counts. Finally guys offer you a ball someplace across the center of the plate. Probably the most spectacular factor about Charlie is when he will get these pitches, he hits the ball 100 mph. It doesn’t imply it will be homer or a double, however his common exit velocity is probably the most spectacular factor about him. His common exit velocity in our fall was like 99.8. And he had virtually 100 at-bats within the fall.”
“I believe his pitch recognition is at a very excessive stage,” mentioned Chris Burke, the ESPN broadcaster and former Tennessee and MLB star who has broadcasted a number of Georgia video games this season. “He appears to make actually fast swing selections. He’s a toe-tapper along with his timing mechanism, and he appears to have a very good really feel for being on time.”
Burke continued with an anecdote from a sport he broadcasted when Georgia swept Alabama in Athens.
“I believe an ideal instance is the house run he hit off Alton Davis off the batter’s eye,” Burke mentioned. Davis has an enormous arm, as much as 97, and he throws (Condon) a first-pitch breaking ball, and Condon swings proper excessive of it. Then (Davis) throws him a backdoor breaking ball, and it was a ball, and (Condon) made a really early determination on it, and the umpire incorrectly referred to as it a strike.”
Some gamers would have let the previous pitch have an effect on the subsequent one. Not Condon, who regrouped regardless of the ticking pitch clock and impressed Burke with the subsequent swing.
“Alton Davis tried to climb the ladder with 95 (mph) and Condon takes it over the batter’s eye,” Burke mentioned. “Ben McDonald talks about it on a regular basis on our broadcast in regards to the sequence going gradual, gradual, quick. Often, hitters are going to be tardy in that state of affairs. For (Condon) to be on time, clearly on the high of the of strike zone in opposition to a pitcher with elite stuff, I see he clearly acknowledged the ball early out of the hand. His mechanics permit him to decelerate and velocity as much as make the correct changes.”
Condon’s sport has impressed not simply former hitters. Lance Cormier, who starred at Alabama collegiately earlier than an eight-year main league profession, is now an ESPN analyst who broadcasted Georgia’s sequence at Tennessee.
“You assume, ultimately this has bought to finish,” Cormier mentioned of Condon’s .482 batting common. “However he retains hitting. The truth that he retains hitting, even when he will get out, it’s a laborious out. It’s barrels. Possibly this doesn’t have to finish. Even when he will get out, it’s a rocket.”
In a kind of video games in Knoxville, Condon went 5-for-6 with two dwelling runs. Condon was dialed in.
“For some motive, Tennessee stored pitching to him,” Cormier mentioned. “I’m pondering, ‘Why do you retain pitching to this man?’ Then you definitely begin to see issues like he covers the skin of the plate two inches. He hits the ball to proper. He hits offspeed, he hits fastballs, he hits excessive velocity. His dwelling run quantity 19, the pitch was 98 (mph) and he went off the batter’s eye on a line drive. What do you do to get him out?”
The opposite query that Stricklin talked about and Cormier expanded on is why groups preserve pitching to Condon if he has a bonus over them. He’s seen his share of walks – some intentional and a few, effectively, formally unintentional, with an intentional function.
“On the house run earlier than, the man tried to go in and he bought interior third,” Cormier mentioned. “He didn’t get black. It’s one other homer. It’s a zone the place he doesn’t chase. He’s going to hit his pitch. He’s simply not lacking it. Faculty pitchers normally aren’t ok to pitch round him. The ball goes to return creeping again into the zone and he’s prepared when it does.”
“They’re going to choose how they assault him,” Johnson mentioned. “Are they going to go at him? Are they going to stroll him?”
Condon is cautious to not increase the zone when pitchers take that method. He has improved on this space since arriving in Athens.
“It’s an space that has developed loads since my freshman yr,” mentioned Condon. “Then I might swing at absolutely anything. I discovered that you’re not simply going to have good pitches land in your lap. You’ve set to work for them dealing with such proficient pitching. I’ve discovered to place myself in leverage counts and earn good pitches. That is one thing that I all the time have a deal with.”
Once they do come at him, Condon doesn’t appear like a batter making an attempt to smash 400-foot bombs. His method is his method, whether or not it’s a pitcher’s ball on the black or a fats one on a tee.
“There’s nothing that makes it appear like he’s making an attempt to create elevate or launch,” mentioned Burke. “He is superb at hitting the underside half of the ball. You mix that with 70 uncooked energy and you will get a number of dwelling runs.”
One other fascinating side of Condon’s sport is he’s 6-foot-6. Often, gamers that top have a protracted swing. As an alternative, Condon has displayed stunning athleticism within the field.
“Often lengthy levers, folks would affiliate with a gradual bat however that’s simply not the case with Condon,” Burke mentioned. “He does a very nice job with shortening his lead arm and getting the barrel round on time.”
Condon has began at 5 positions
However that’s not the one factor that separates Condon from the opposite high hitters within the sport. The redshirt sophomore has began video games at first base, third base, left area, heart area, and proper area this season. He’s displayed positional flexibility with out disrupting his offensive numbers.
“With the place we had been from a personnel standpoint, we would have liked these guys who might play a number of positions,” mentioned Johnson. “After I bought right here and noticed how athletic he was, I felt he might do it. The opposite factor is I felt it might drive his draft inventory. Everybody thought he was only a righthanded bat that performs first base. If I used to be to play him at first base (completely), I might be shocked if he wasn’t the very best first baseman in school baseball along with his vary and fingers. He and (Jac) Caglianone, they’d be proper there collectively.”
“After we performed Georgia Tech,” Johnson continued, “He gained that sport along with his glove at third base with three phenomenal performs. He’s above huge league-average at first. He’s huge league-average at third. As a result of he’s enjoying heart area a lot for us. You could possibly say he’s huge league-average in left and proper. He’s 95+ from the outfield so the arm just isn’t going to be a difficulty. What he’s executed is proven he’s a school, league-average in heart.”
“Nothing actually surprises me relating to Charlie Condon,” mentioned Stricklin. “He was athletic sufficient to play third or first and a ok runner to play outfield, even in heart. I see him as a nook outfielder within the execs. He can do all of it.”
“I don’t keep in mind ever seeing a celebrity participant enjoying as many positions as Condon has this season,” mentioned Burke. “He has began at 5 positions, none of them DH, and two are premium positions at third base and heart area.”
“If I had been him, I might say, ‘Maintain me in heart area,’” mentioned Cormier. “If I might play heart, I might undoubtedly play left or proper. If I might play third base, I might undoubtedly play first. He seems the half. He glides when he runs and makes it look simple.”
“It’s enjoyable for me,” mentioned Condon. “It’s another factor to work on. Wherever I’m, it’s about getting reps. If I’m within the outfield, it’s about getting sport reads off the bat. In case you go about that the correct means in follow, it’s like getting sport reads. In case you can mentally lock in, you’ll be able to achieve sport expertise. I believe that has helped me get snug in a variety of completely different spots. I get pleasure from it as a result of it could possibly assist create the very best offensive lineup on a given day getting different guys in for matchups. If I can do my half and push and pull in sure instructions, it could possibly assist the Canine win video games.”
The positional versatility solely provides to the lore. Take note the bat has created loads of noise by itself. Condon has been talked about as one of many high picks in July’s draft. All of that for a thin child who redshirted his freshman season as a result of he wasn’t but bodily mature.
His improvement off the sphere was actually displayed in his interview for this function, the place he confirmed outstanding presence and maturity. All of these mix to remind a few of Skenes, the primary choose of final yr’s draft, and others of Wyatt Langford, who went from Florida’s Faculty World Sequence squad to an opening-day starter on the MLB World Sequence champion Texas Rangers this season.
“I’ve by no means been round a man within the field like this one,” mentioned Johnson. “Dylan (Crews) was fairly shut. They’re completely different gamers. It’s completely different when he’s within the field. The exit velo, each time. He hits the ball laborious, every single day.”
“I’d say Condon is a greater defensive prospect as a result of he can play on the grime,” mentioned Burke. “Langford might be sooner, however Condon seems extra relaxed along with his route working. The pliability of Condon provides him a definite benefit as effectively. Offensively, to me Langford is the very best school hitter I’ve coated since being a member of the media. Condon could be very near that as we stand.”
That form of reward signifies how troublesome it should have been to organize to play Georgia, realizing Condon looms able to pounce on good pitches, not to mention errors.
“I instructed folks earlier than I bought the job final yr after we had been prepping for Georgia that he’s the very best righthanded hitter I’ve needed to game-plan for at that cut-off date,” mentioned Johnson. “Clearly, Wyatt Langford was good, and I needed to game-plan for him in a while. The factor that folks don’t perceive about that child is how athletic (Condon) is within the field.”
Condon was requested in regards to the Langford comp, and whereas he was honored, he didn’t draw back from it.
“It is vitally excessive reward as a man who performed in opposition to Wyatt final yr, seeing how he went about his enterprise,” mentioned Condon. “How revered and feared he was means loads. It’s enjoyable to consider long run stuff like that. When I’ve my most success is when I’m locked in on the duty at hand. Simply displaying up and being able to roll.”
If Condon continues his present tempo, nobody should wait lengthy to listen to his identify referred to as within the MLB draft and he has an opportunity to comply with Langford’s abbreviated journey to the present. Till that day comes, he’s centered on the day-to-day.
Simply as he was when he was constructing his physique to be a profitable SEC hitter, he’s now centered on the plan. If that leads him to the heights Langford reached, that’s even higher.
“Positive, I wish to be feared like he was, and it’s enjoyable to have my identify talked about together with guys like that who I’ve a ton of respect for,” Condon mentioned. “It’s in regards to the work that I can put in so I will be talked about with one thing like that. It’s all about what’s entrance of me proper now.”
What’s in entrance of Condon is a record-breaking school profession. One which the highschool model of him by no means thought doable.
