5. Charlie Condon, 1B/3B/OF, Georgia
If you go look at the top MLB Draft prospects for 2024 on the MLB website, the first name on the list is Charlie Condon. Oddly enough, he might be the player getting the least amount of attention on this list for the first overall pick.
Condon is an interesting prospect for sure. He utilized a redshirt in 2022, so at this point, he only has one and a half college baseball seasons to go off of. On top of that, it's hard to pinpoint what position he is. Some view him as a first baseman, some see a third baseman, andsome say outfield. For the Cleveland Guardians, this could be an intriguing aspect of his game, or it could scare them away.
The 2023 National Freshman of the Year, Condon was ridiculously impressive for his first season in SEC baseball. He slashed .386/.484/.800 and belted 25 home runs to go along with 20 doubles and a triple. He walked 33 times and struck out 45 times in 210 at-bats, not too shabby. More impressively, he has been even better this year.
Through 44 games for Georgia, Condon is hitting an incredible .456 to go along with a complete slash line of .456/.563/1.088. Yeah, it's an impressive season. He's already launched 30 home runs while adding 16 doubles and a triple. His walk numbers are up (37), and he's nearly matched his RBI total from last year with 63. He's even added some speed with three stolen bases.
The issue for Condon is the rest of the field. His stats are similar to Caglianone, but he doesn't pitch. His bat is insane, but he lacks a true position. Of the five, he's the most mysterious of where he could land. The tools are obviously there, and the potential is high, but where is the floor? Don't get me wrong, the idea of molding him into where a need arises is exciting, but is it worth the first pick when more finely-tuned players are available?