Weekly Pebble Report: Charlie Condon isn’t a finished product

The fix, Charlie Condon will tell you, was never dramatic.

After a quiet stretch early in the season — the power numbers were down, the slugging percentage not quite where he wanted it — Colorado’s 2024 first-round pick didn’t tear anything down in Albuquerque. He nudged it.

“It hasn’t been anything too, too dramatic — just a couple of mechanical tweaks here and there,” Condon said. “Some stuff with load and gather and things like that, that have really helped me get more quality swing off more consistently.”

The stakes behind those tweaks are the part that’s hard to nudge.

Condon (No. 1 PuRP) arrived in the organization as the No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 draft — a Golden Spikes winner out of Georgia whose 37 home runs set a BBCOR-era record and made him, for many evaluators, the best pure bat in his class.

Two injury-slowed pro seasons followed: a cold High-A debut in 2024, then a wrist fracture that pushed back his 2025, before he climbed to Double-A Hartford by midsummer.

He entered this year as Colorado’s No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, with a 2026 big-league ETA hanging over every box score — which is why a slow April carried more weight than it might for another hitter. He was getting on base, but the damage wasn’t there.

Capitalizing on the mistakes

The way Condon frames it, the foundation was never the problem. His pitch selection, he said, held up even when the results didn’t, which let him keep grinding out at-bats and reaching base while the power caught up.

“I think that’s why, when things slowed down for me slug-wise a little bit earlier on in the year, I was still able to get on base and conduct some quality at-bats,” he said. “I just feel like I’m doing a better job of capitalizing on mistakes.”

And then he started capitalizing on everything.

Across 22 games in June, Condon has slugged .778 with nine home runs and 30 RBI, lifting his season line to .280/.411/.564 and pushing him among the Pacific Coast League’s home run leaders, turning the call-up chatter back up to full volume.

Learning to trust the swing

That capitalization shows up in the margins, too — the walks up, the strikeouts down — but Condon resists the idea that plate discipline is something you can simply will into being.

“It’s really not something where you can try harder not to chase,” he said. “There are things you can do that allow you to be more confident hitting deeper into a count.”

For Condon, the unlock has been trust.

“There have been times where I haven’t been as confident in my swing and in my ability to impact the ball, and I felt like I needed to force things to make things happen,” he said. “But now I feel more comfortable with my swing and more comfortable with my ability to hit with two strikes — and that’s allowing me to be more conservative early in counts and not get myself out early.”

Some of that comfort traces back to spring when Condon got an extended look with the big club — a jump in competition for a hitter who, to that point, had played no higher than Double-A.

“It was huge just to see that the game’s still a game,” he said. “The competition continues to get better, but I continue to get better as well.”

He’s careful not to let outcomes set the temperature.

“You try not to base your confidence off the results, but they definitely help. It’s about putting in the work and letting the confidence come from that, as opposed to just the numbers.”

A home in the outfield

That spring also accelerated another transition: the move to the outfield, mostly in right, where Condon has started 30 games so far this season in Albuquerque.

“I’m very comfortable in the outfield — very comfortable in both corners,” he said. “It’s been mostly in right field for me, but I feel like I can cover both pretty effectively.”

Watching big leaguers cycle through Albuquerque — Mickey Moniak, Brenton Doyle, and Jordan Beck among them — has given him a template.

“Those guys do things the right way,” Condon said. “They’re intentional with how they work, very locked in pitch to pitch — and that’s a big separator for a lot of guys in the outfield. Can you really be dialed in, expecting the ball to be hit to you every pitch? That’s something I’ve tried to take into my own work.”

Never a finished product

If there’s a phrase that defines Condon’s season, it’s one phrase he keeps returning to.

“No matter when you ask me throughout my career, I’ll always tell you I’m never really a finished product,” he said. “That’s the beauty of this game — the best you can be is where you’re at each individual day.”

A better player now than in spring, he hopes, and a better one in August than today — provided he keeps earning it.

“Just because I’m swinging it better right now doesn’t mean that’s going to keep continuing to happen if I don’t work.”

Rationing the reps

Some of that work, at this level, is learning what not to do.

Triple-A is Condon’s first taste of regular air travel, and the wear of a long season at altitude has forced a hitter who loves the cage to ration himself.

“I’m a guy who likes to hit a lot — really more than I should, probably,” he said. “So I’ve had to limit myself on the number of swings I take.”

The rest is listening to his body.

“Some weeks I might be able to push it a little harder, but then other weeks my body will let me know — hey, we need to take care of ourselves, so we can still put our best product out there every night.”

Hydration, in the Albuquerque heat, is its own ongoing project: “I sweat a lot. It’s about drinking water even when you’re not thirsty.”

The revolving door

For all the focus on his own development, Condon turns animated, talking about the group around him — and the wave of buddies starting to break through. Sean Sullivan (No. 8 PuRP), Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP), and Sterlin Thompson (No. 13 PuRP) have all made their Rockies debuts this season — the kind of milestone that lands differently when you’ve shared a clubhouse on the way up.

“Those are all really good buddies of mine, guys I’ve come up through the organization with,” Condon said of the call-ups. “[I’m] really excited for those guys to get up there and show they’re a big part of what this organization has going forward.”

Triple-A, he acknowledged, is a “revolving door — you’ve got guys coming and going all the time.”

But the bonds stick. He rattled off names without hesitation: Jared Thomas (No. 5 PuRP), Cole Messina (No. 26 PuRP), Jack Mahoney (No. 25 PuRP), and Braylen Wimmer from his Hartford days, plus the new batch of teammates in Albuquerque this year.

Where his feet are

Which brings it back to the hype — the speculation that trails any high-end prospect waiting on a phone to ring.

Condon’s answer to it is almost stubbornly simple.

“When that call comes, the only thing that’s going to change is where I’m playing baseball,” he said. “When you get down to it, the root of it’s the same. It’s about treating every day here in Albuquerque like it’s my debut.”

The discipline in that, he said, is its own kind of survival.

“This game is hard enough to play when you’re really good at being where your feet are,” Condon said. “And if your mind is somewhere that you’re not, it just gets that much harder.”

So he isn’t interested in living anywhere but where his feet are.

“I’m an Albuquerque Isotope until I’m not,” Condon said. “So I’m just going to keep working hard, bettering myself and the guys around me as much as I can — and when that time comes, I’ll be ready.”

Weekly Pebble Report: June 22nd-28th

Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes (3-3, 42-39 Overall)

The Isotopes traded blows with the Salt Lake Bees (Los Angeles Angels) in a back-and-forth home stand series, splitting six games in which the offense alternated between explosive and silent — Albuquerque scored 11 runs twice but was also shut out and held to a single run in the two midweek losses. When the bats showed up, the Isotopes were overwhelming. They sit at 42-39.

⬆️ Stock Up: Condon crushes it

Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) authored one of the best weeks of his professional career, going 10-for-20 (.500) with three home runs, two triples, a double, nine RBIs, and eight runs scored across five games. He saved the loudest for last, launching two homers and driving in five in the June 28 finale. Condon did damage in every direction and at every level of the box score, and the power surge is exactly the kind of development the organization has been hoping to see from one of its most important prospects.

⬇️ Stock Down: Machín Mired at the Plate

It was a week to forget for Vimael Machín, who managed just one hit in 17 at-bats (.059) over five games. Machín, who entered the week hitting close to .300, simply couldn’t find the barrel against Salt Lake pitching, and the quiet stretch stood out on a roster that was otherwise piling up extra-base hits.

Upcoming

The Isotopes head to Round Rock for six games against Round Rock (Texas Rangers).

Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats (2-4, 41-33 Overall)

It was a step back for Hartford, which dropped four of six at home to the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) after rolling through the end of the first half. The Yard Goats managed only two wins in a series defined by quiet bats — they were shut out in the finale and held to six hits or fewer three times. Hartford sits at 41-33.

⬆️ Stock Up: Perez Stays Hot

Andy Perez was the on constant in an otherwise cold lineup, going 8-for-23 (.348) with a home run, a double, four RBIs, and a stolen base across all six games. The shortstop delivered in nearly every contest, including a two-out homer in the eighth on June 27, and lifted his season average to .307. While the rest of the order pressed, Perez kept putting together professional at-bats.

⬇️ Stock Down: Wimmer Whiffs

It was a difficult series for Braylen Wimmer, who managed just one hit in 14 at-bats (.071) while striking out 11 times across five games. Wimmer, a .269 hitter on the season, couldn’t find his stride, and the swing-and-miss piled up at the top of a Hartford lineup that struggled to generate much of anything all week.

Upcoming

The Goats will visit the Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees) in a six-game series.

High-A: Spokane Indians (4-2, 34-41 Overall)

Spokane bounced back with a strong week, taking four of six from the Tri-City Dust Devils (Los Angeles Angels) at Avista Stadium — including a pair of extra-inning wins to close it out. The offense piled up runs in bunches when it needed to, and the Indians won three straight to end the home stand. They’re now 34-41 in the Northwest League.

⬆️ Stock Up: Hopfe Hammers Away

Tommy Hopfe was the best hitter on the field all week, going 12-for-26 (.462) with a home run, a triple, two doubles, four RBIs and a hit in every single game. He set the table and drove the ball with equal ease, lifting his season average to .272 while serving as the steady force atop a lineup that swung between feast and famine. It was the kind of week that announces a player is locked in.

⬇️ Stock Down: Hinderleider in a Funk

Jacob Hinderleider couldn’t buy a hit. One knock in 14 trips, seven strikeouts, four games of frustration against Tri-City arms. The .197 hitter pressed all week while the bats around him produced, and the Ks only mounted.

Upcoming

Spokane will play host to the Hillsboro Hops (Arizona Diamondbacks) for six games.

Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies (4-2, 41-34 Overall)

Fresno turned its road trip into to Lake Elsinore into a track meet, swiping bases at will against the Storm (San Diego Padres) and taking four of six at The Diamond. Three times the Grizzlies pushed across right or more runs, and they ran wild on the bases all week — a steal of home, multi-steal games up and down the order. Both losses were close, including a 4-0 lead that slipped away in the finale. Fresno is 41-34.

⬆️ Stock Up: Parker Carves

Brady Parker was untouchable in two turns through the rotation. He opened the week with six innings of one-run ball and eight strikeouts, then came back in the finale and was even better — six innings, one hit, no runs, eight more punch-outs. The bullpen squandered the 4-0 lead he handed over, costing him a deserved second win, but the ledger doesn’t lie: 12 innings, 16 strikeouts, one earned run. There’s not much a starter can do beyond what Parker did.

⬇️ Stock Down: Ciriaco Cools

Jeremy Ciriaco scuffled through a quiet week at the plate, collecting just three hits in 20 at-bats (.150). He found a few RBI chances and cashed in four runs, but the empty at-bats outnumbers the productive ones, and his season average dipped to .211. A bounce-back week would do a lot to steady the line.

Upcoming

The Grizzlies welcome the Ontario Tower Buzzers (Los Angeles Dodgers) for six.

ACL: ACL Rockies (4-1, 30-11 Overall)

The ACL Rockies kept rolling through a rotating Arizona Complex League slate, taking four of five against the Padres, Rangers, Cubs, and Athletics’ affiliates with the lone stumble an 11-7 loss to the Cubs. The offense was relentless, piling up 47 runs across the five games and reaching double digits twice. At 30-11, they remain the best team in the ACL.

⬆️ Stock Up: Arguelles Stays Scorching

Christian Arguelles did a little of everything and a lot of damage. He hit .409 (9-for-22) with a home run, three doubles, two steals, seven runs, and a team-high nine RBIs, saving his loudest night for last: a 4-for-5, five-RBI explosion in the Saturday win over the Athletics. Already among the league’s most dangerous bats at .377 on the season, Arguelles spent the week reminding everyone why.

⬆️ Stock Up: Blanco Sets the Table

Sebastian Blanco was a constant presence atop the order, going 7-for-18 (.389) with a triple, a double, and a stolen base across four games. The shortstop scored five runs and reached base in bunches, lifting his season line to .309 and giving the lineup the kind of jolt at the top that fueled all those crooked numbers on the scoreboard.

DSL: DSL Colorado (4-1) & DSL Rockies (2-3)

The two Dominican Summer League affiliates went in different directions this week — and met head-to-head along the way, with DSL Colorado taking the Monday meeting 7-5. Colorado kept climbing from there, winning four of five to reach 12-8, while the Rockies split their two wins with a pair of rough losses, falling to 7-13.

⬆️ Stock Up: Barroso Goes Deep (DSL Rockies)

Hector Barroso was nearly impossible retire, racking up a .571 week (12-for-21) with three home runs, three doubles, seven RBIs and eight runs across all five games. His signature day came in the 15-11 win over the Phillies, when he homered twice and drove in five. Already up to .388 on the season, Barroso turned in the kind of all-fields power display that’s tough to ignore even in a losing week for his club.

⬆️ Stock Up: Morejon Rakes (DSL Colorado)

Luis Morejon barely made an out. He finished 9-for-15 (.600) with two doubles, two stolen bases, and a team-high seven RBIs, reaching base in every game he played and helping fuel a four-win week. The .391 hitter has become the steadying presence in Colorado’s lineup, and this stretch only tightened his grip on that role.