Rockies' Condon hopes late-season hot streak carries over into Arizona Fall League

Charlie Condon was riding high when he entered pro ball. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 Draft, he had won the Golden Spikes Award after leading Division I hitters in a host of categories, including average (.433), homers (37) and OPS (1.565). He seemed poised to put up big numbers during a quick race up the Rockies ladder.

He struggled during his summer debut, but there wasn’t much concern, first because it was a small sample size and then when it turned out he was playing through some lingering hand issues. That was taken care of and the world would get to see the real Charlie Condon at the start of 2025.

Then disaster struck when Condon broke his wrist in Spring Training, meaning he didn’t take the field until early May and didn’t get back to High-A Spokane, where he played last summer, until May 21.

“It's tough to swallow, and I was definitely frustrated about it for a little bit,” Condon said. "But then from there, I kind of had a decision to make. I can either sit and sulk about this while everybody else breaks camp and goes to get started, or I can get this thing as healthy as I can as quick as I can, and know that there's still plenty of season left for me to go.”

“To get back out there eventually and stay healthy the rest of the year was a blessing. That's definitely something I'm starting to take a lot less for granted, just health in general. To get out there and really get my feet wet and kind of tap back into what I know it feels like when I'm on was really good.”

That took a little while. He did hit .312 with Spokane through June, but with only nine extra-base hits in 35 games. He hit only .209 with a lot of strikeouts in July, his first month at Double-A. But then things started to click, with Condon slugging .589 with six homers in August with an understanding of just how challenging the jump to Double-A can be.

“People say the Eastern League is one of the toughest leagues to play in,” Condon said. “It's an extremely competitive league so it's a good place to go to get battle tested. I think that's kind of what it's all about, going in there and putting your best foot forward and seeing where you line up.

“To get in there and have some success in the second half is a lot for me to build on, and that's what I'm excited about working on here for the rest of this Fall League before we go into a full offseason.”

Condon is excited to be playing for the Salt River Rafters with some familiar faces from that Hartford lineup in Jared Thomas and Braylen Wimmer. MLB Pipeline’s No. 61 overall prospect, who will mostly play first base during this stint with perhaps some corner outfield mixed in, can’t wait to keep showing everyone what he’s capable of when he’s feeling healthy.

“There's still plenty of things to be polished up,” Condon said. “I think that's what's exciting. I think you look at some of my top end output, and it's really, really good but just being able to tap into that more frequently, I think that's the name of the game for me. I think a lot of people know that when I'm on and when I'm doing what I know I can do, it's really good.”

Rockies hitters in the Fall League

Jared Thomas, OF (No. 8): Chosen as MLB Pipeline’s Rockies hitting prospect of the year, Thomas had a terrific first full season. The organization’s second-round pick out of the University of Texas in 2024, Thomas reached Double-A and finished with a .300/.398/.452 line to go along with 14 homers and 33 steals.

Braylen Wimmer, OF/2B/3B: Taken in the eighth round of the 2023 Draft as a senior sign, Wimmer had a strong first full season with 14 homers and 34 steals, though he was a bit old for the Single-A level where he spent the season. He’s on the map now after hitting .296/.366/.466 with 17 homers and 37 steals between High-A and Double-A in 2025. He also offers defensive flexibility, having seen time at second, third and all three outfield spots.

Rockies pitchers in the Fall League

Welinton Herrera, LHP (No. 19): A 2025 Futures Gamer, Herrera is a reliever only who pitched his way from High-A Spokane to Double-A Hartford, saving 17 games combined and finishing with a 2.64 ERA, .205 BAA and 13.8 K/9 rate. He misses bats with a fastball that can touch 99 mph, averaging 95, and an 86-mph slider.

Ben Shields, LHP (No. 29): A fifth-year senior who signed with the Yankees as a nondrafted free agent in 2023, Shields had a solid first full season and reached Double-A this year despite missing the first two months with a hip impingement when he was sent to the Rockies in the Jake Bird deal at the Trade Deadline. He’s making up for those lost innings and AFL fans will see the lefty go after hitters with a low-90s fastball and two breaking pitches that can miss bats.

Cade Denton, RHP: Denton closed for Oral Roberts, saving 15 games in 2023 en route to joining the Rockies as a sixth-round pick. Slowed out of the gate in 2024 with some shoulder weakness, he’s yet to pitch beyond A ball, something this AFL stint will help prepare him for. He goes after hitters with a 93-95 mph fastball that can touch the upper 90s and a solid low-80s slider.

Jack Mahoney, RHP: After bouncing back from 2022 Tommy John surgery to pitch his way into the third round of the 2023 Draft, Mahoney threw 120 innings in his first full season across two levels of A ball. The move to Double-A was rougher for him in 2025, finishing with a 5.93 ERA over 24 starts. He can get ground balls with a sinking fastball that flirted with triple digits this year and he has an 86-87 mph slider to go along with a changeup.

Austin Smith, RHP: The Braves drafted Smith in the 18th round back in 2021 and he touched Double-A each of the past three seasons. He was at that level when he was sent to the Rockies in return for Tyler Kinley at the Trade Deadline and he finished off well with Hartford in his new system. The 26-year-old reliever features a fastball that averaged 96 mph in 2025 and a mid-80s slider.