Charlie Condon injury is another low in an up and down spring for Rockies' talented prospects

For many of the Colorado Rockies’ top prospects, spring training has been a rollercoaster ride, full of ups and downs.

On Thursday, the Rockies experienced one of those downs, as it was reported that one of the most talented young players in the minor leagues, Charlie Condon sufffered a “serious” wrist injury while diving for a ball in the outfield. 

According to reporting by Manny Randhawa of MLB.com. Condon suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left wrist, He’ll be expected to be in a splint for a month and will not resume baseball activities for six weeks. Condon’s injury supposedly doesn’t require surgery, but, not playing baseball until May will slow Condon’s progress.

If you don’t know who Condon is, he’s only Colorado’s No. 2 overall prospect behind Chase Dollander. Entering 2025, Condon is considered a Top 30 Propsect in all of baseball. He was the No. 3 overall pick in the Class of 2024 after completing a brilliant career at Georgia, where he batted .433, and hit 37 home runs on his way to All-American honors. 

Condon then jumped right into minor league baseball where he played last summer for the High A Spokane Indians. He did struggle in his first professional season, hence why the 6-foot-6, 21-year-old phenom wasn’t a part of the Rockies’ big-league camp. And yet, Colorado has high hopes and big plans for Condon, who is a monster power hitter, and who can man third base, or be a star in right field. Many pundits even suggested that, despite his struggles last summer in Spokane, Condon would potentially be fast-tracked to Denver, sometime this season even, especially if the Rockies struggle for a bulk of the season.

That fast track may take a little longer now with the wrist injury, especially after struggling at the plate last summer.

Condon’s injury is also somewhat indicitive of the plight of the Rockies’ uber-talented farm system. 

Yes, the Rockies have a bevy of outstanding prospects, guys like Dollander, Condon, Adeal Amador, Yanquiel Fernandez, Cole Carrigg, Zac Veen and Drew Romo all have huge potential and very high ceilings. They all are highly-regarded inside the organization and beyond. And yet, it’s still completely uncertain where any of them fit, how they will help the big-league club, or if they’ll get there at all. Right now, even Dollander’s big-league future, at least at the start of 2025, is in doubt.

And now, the Rockies’ No. 2 prospect has doubt surrounding him as well. It’s not his fault. Injuries are certainly part of the game. But, Condon going down before even being assigned to start the season is just another example of how much the Colorado Rockies are still finding their way, and how far they still have to go to get there.