SCOTTSDALE, AZ: - Who's On First is more than a classic comedy routine for the Colorado Rockies. The team needs a good first baseman to help ensure last year's franchise-worst record is not challenged in 2026.
The Rockies sought to secure the position by taking Charlie Condon at No. 3 overall in the 2024 MLB Draft and signing him for $9.25 million. His progress in the minors, however, was delayed by a broken left wrist in 2025.
Meanwhile, the Rockies went 43-119 for their third consecutive year of 100-plus losses, seventh straight losing season and 13th sub-.500 finish in 15 years. Eight men played in at least one game at the position and batted a combined .211 with a whopping 202 strikeouts and paltry .372 slugging percentage.
The Rockies jettisoned some of those worst basemen and on January 28 added two possibilities to play the position - young veteran Edouard Julien from the Minnesota Twins and prospect T.J. Rumfield from the New York Yankees. Julien plays primarily second base. Rumfield, a 6-foot-5 lefty, is strictly a first sacker.
Condon is the big bat they want in the lineup, however, though he is likely to open the season at Triple-A Albuquerque. He may play a bit of third base or outfield, where he saw some time a year ago in the minors and Arizona Fall League. He went to the AFL to get in some time after being sidelined. He hit .337 with 13 RBI in 22 games and one homer, a grand slam.
"It's good," he said of his wrist in November. "I was blessed to not have to get surgery on it. That was a big win and it ended up being about a ten-week deal. Fortunately, I got it taken care of and I feel great."
Condon received the AFL's Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award. "That was cool and means a lot," he said. "I try to be a good teammate, a guy that people can depend on."
Condon claimed he was unfazed by not get picked higher after hitting .433 with 37 home runs and 78 RBI in 60 games at the University of Georgia before the '24 draft. The Cleveland Guardians chose second baseman Travis Bazzana No. 1 and the Cincinnati Reds selected pitcher Chase Burns next.
"A few teams at the top (of the order) talked with me before (the draft)," he said. "I'm real happy with how it went and delighted to be with Colorado. It's a good place to hit, 100 percent."
Condon played baseball and football in high school. Despite being a three-year starter at quarterback and hitting .515 as a junior and .432 as a senior corner infielder, the only colleges showing interest were a couple of Division III schools.
The Covid pandemic played a part as many programs were shut down and coaches had no chance to watch recruits in person. Georgia coach Scott Stricklin got a call from a friend saying to take a look at a skinny, gangly kid.
He watched some video, then told Condon he would get no scholarship but was free to walk on and be redshirted while spending time in the weight room to bulk up.
"I had mixed emotions," Condon said. "I was happy for the chance but thought I had kind of proven myself. I had to accept it and believe there was going to be a spot for me if I trusted the process."
He hit .356 with 25 homers in 56 games in 2023, then took the nation by storm.
So when his career hit a speed bump last March with the injury, he was mentally prepared to hit the reset button and move ahead. Unlike many young players who try to catch up all at once and struggle, Condon remained patient. He had only one homer in the AFL. He wasn't worried.
"My goal is to make solid contact," he said then."I've been happy with my swing decisions, about the pitches I've been swinging at or laying off.I've been happy with putting barrels on the ball.I'm hitting balls hard, they just have not been back-spinning in the air much.That will come as long as I keep getting good sequences at the plate.I like to jog after I hit it out."
Condon's first homer this spring was a majestic 449-foot shot timed at 108.2 mph off the bat against the Los Angeles Angels on February 24.
"It was good to see Charlie get that slider over the plate and hammer it," manager Warren Schaeffer told Thomas Harding of MLB.com. "That's what he does best, from everything we've heard. It was good to see it in action.
"I like the way he goes about his business. He's proficient in both corners in the outfield, and then possibly some third base. He's going to get a chance to play in those spots."
Todd Helton rocked Colorado for 17 seasons on the way to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was replaced at quarterback at Tennessee by Peyton Manning - and irreplaceable at first base for Colorado.
Helton leads the franchise in numerous career and single-season offensive categories. From 1999 to 2003, he averaged .343, 125.2 runs, 48.0 doubles, 37.8 homers, 126.4 RBI with more walks than strikeouts.
The Rockies' first hero was slugging first baseman Andres Galarraga. He hit .370 for the 1993 expansion Rockies to to win the NL batting championship. In five years in Colorado, he averaged .316, 34.4 homers, 115.8 RBI.
All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman (31 HR, 91 RBI in 2025) leads the 2026 offense, backed by shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and outfielders Brenton Doyle, Mickey Moniak and Tyler Freeman.
Julian and Rumfield should help. Rumfield hit two homers Wednesday with a nice fluid swing. Outfielder Zac Veen hit a long walkoff homer earlier in the week and has plenty of speed. There are some parts, just not enough to contend in 2026.
Pitching will always be a frustrating problem in the high air of Colorado. Former first-rounder Chase Dollander leads a group of young arms willing to accept the challenge.
Condon is supposed to be the offensive prize. He must deliver. If not in 2026, then next year. It's a tough task. The Colorado Rockies gave him 9.25 million reasons to find a way to get it done.