Former Georgia high school star selected No. 3 in MLB Draft by Colorado Rockies

Charlie Condon formerly played at the University of Georgia after playing at The Walker School

Georgia's Charlie Condon (24) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during Game 3 of the Super NCAA Regional against NC State at Foley Field on Monday, June 10, 2024 in Athens, Ga. NC State won 8-5. / Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK

Georgia high school baseball's all-time leader in home runs came off the board early of the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft on Sunday evening.

Former The Walker School standout Charlie Condon was selected No. 3 of th 2024 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies. Condon played his collegiate ball at the University of Georgia before being drafted by the Rockies.

With the 3rd pick in the 2024 Draft, the @Rockies select @BaseballUGA OF Charlie Condon, No. 2 on the Top 250 Draft Prospects list.

Watch LIVE: https://t.co/eLMJAXDe7Z pic.twitter.com/SuZXYGCIdJ

— MLB Draft (@MLBDraft) July 14, 2024

In 2023 at Georgia, Condon followed up his redshirt year with a breakout campaign and batted .386 at the plate with 25 home runs and 67 runs batted in. The power hitter in his second season (2024) for the Bulldogs belted 37 homers, setting the NCAA BBCOR home run record.

According to MLB.com's draft breakdown of prospects, Condon was the No. 2 overall prospect. Down below is the breakdown by the website on the former Bulldog.

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Scouts and college recruiters took little notice of Condon when he was a physically underdeveloped Georgia high schooler, and he wound up going to Georgia as a walk-on. He redshirted in 2022 as he continued to gain strength, then earned national freshman of the year honors last spring by slashing .386/.484/.800 with a Southeastern Conference freshman-record 25 homers. He won the Golden Spikes Award and SEC Player of the Year accolades while posting even better numbers this spring, leading NCAA Division I in batting (.433), slugging (1.009), OPS (1.565), homers (37), extra-base hits (58) and total bases (233).

A leading candidate to go No. 1 overall, Condon should surpass Jeff Pyburn (No. 5 overall in 1980) as the highest-drafted player in Bulldogs history because he has a huge offensive ceiling. He has top-of-the-scale raw power that plays from foul pole to foul pole and his combination of bat speed, strength and leverage in his 6-foot-6 frame allows him to mishit balls yet still drive them out of the park. Despite his long arms, he keeps his right-handed swing relatively compact and controls the strike zone while repeatedly making loud contact against all types of pitching.

Though he's a below-average runner, Condon is reasonably athletic and covers ground with long strides once he gets going. After splitting time between first base and the outfield corners as a freshman, he has played all three outfield spots and third base this spring. He's not quick enough for third or center but he does have solid-to-plus arm strength and can provide average defense in left or right field.

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivega