Draft prospect Condon delivers 7th multihomer game of '24, extends NCAA lead
Ben Weinrib
@benweinribCharlie Condon has already cemented himself as one of the elite prospects in the 2024 Draft. With another powerful performance on Saturday, he's nearing the record books for the University of Georgia as well.
In a doubleheader against Mississippi, the Bulldogs slugger delivered his seventh multihomer showing of the season, as he collected six hits and 15 total bases.
MLB's No. 4 Draft prospect hit both of his roundtrippers in the first game, which brings him to 26 on the season -- one more than he hit last year to set a Southeastern Conference freshman record. With 51 homers in less than two seasons, Condon moved into a tie with Josh Morris for second in program history and is just two behind Gordon Beckham.
Condon hammered both of his home runs off breaking pitches. The first, off an inside slider from lefty starter Liam Doyle, went 394 feet at an estimated 102 mph. He rocketed the second one, on a curveball high and away from righty reliever Josh Mallitz, 379 feet at an estimated 99 mph.
Condon doesn't have the consecutive home run streak of fellow SEC slugger Jac Caglianone, whose historic stretch ended Sunday after nine straight games going deep, but the Marietta, Ga., native has been more consistent throughout the season. His 26 home runs lead the nation, as do his .483 average and 1.119 slugging percentage. His .584 on-base percentage is merely second behind Oregon State's Travis Bazzana (No. 3 Draft prospect).
The slugger's production is backed up by elite scouting grades, which makes him one of the Draft's top prospects. Condon is one of two such prospects (including Wake Forest first baseman Nick Kurtz) to boast 60 grades for both his hitting and power tools, which he's plainly put on display.
All of that makes Condon one of the leading contenders to go first overall in July. At the end of March, MLB.com's Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo agreed that he was neck-and-neck with Bazzana to be the top selection, and Condon has only continued to slug since then. As far as how he compares with last year's top Draft picks, Callis said that Condon belongs in the same tier as Paul Skenes, Dylan Crews and Wyatt Langford, all of whom were Top 10 prospects in baseball at the start of 2024.