Rox No. 2 prospect Condon slugging his way into the Double-A spotlight

This story was excerpted from Thomas Harding's Rockies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

DENVER -- The recent highlights for Double-A Hartford first baseman Charlie Condon, the Rockies' No. 2 prospect and MLB Pipeline's No. 59 overall, are better enjoyed than studied.

In 11 games from Aug. 10-23, Condon, chosen third overall in last year’s MLB Draft, sizzled to a .324/.468/.919 slash line with six home runs -- including four in a three-game stretch.

Condon, 22, sustained a broken right wrist this spring and missed all of April, and played in the Arizona Complex League and at High-A Spokane before joining Hartford on July 2. The surge was reminiscent of his production in college -- 37 home runs last year at the University of Georgia. He tried to play through a left hand injury last year at Class-A Spokane before shutting down late in the season, finishing with 35 games.

To find his power, Condon said he consulted hitting coach Zack Blonder with Prime Prospects in Marietta, Ga. -- where he trains in the offseason -- and with Hartford hitting coach Zach Osborne, making a barely detectable adjustment that made all the difference.

"I’ve got a little squat – a little lower to the ground,” Condon said this week. “From a video perspective, it's probably hardly noticeable. But for me in the box, it feels like I'm really down there.

“It looks more like my swing when it's at its best. It feels really good, and it feels like my recognition is good. Even when I’m getting out right now, it feels like it should.”

Expectations for a pick as high as Condon's are microwaved. Nick Kurtz (Athletics), Cam Smith (Astros), Christian Moore (Angels), Chase Burns (Reds) and Jac Caglianone (Royals) have already debuted. But in perspective, Condon being in Double-A making adjustments after recovering from injury in his first full pro season is not cause for anyone with the Rockies to panic about the timeline.

"Expectations were put down because of the strength of the wrist,” Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt said. “It takes a while to overcome the injury. The farther we get removed from it, he’s feeling stronger, and the power is starting to show up.”

Condon is not concerned with keeping up with the Caglianones.

"I'm always going to be a big believer in myself,” Condon said.

“Regardless of what anybody out there has to say, you know, I'm always believing in what I'm doing. At same time, I know that this isn't a complete project. There are going to be ruts. I understand that that's part of the game. You've got to be able to stick with it. You’ve got to have some mental fortitude.“

The Rockies want playing meaningful games to be part of building fortitude. Hartford is battling for an Eastern League playoff spot – it was a half-game out with 16 games left heading into Thursday.

“You’ve got to want to be a good player, be a good teammate and that comes when you’re in a winning environment – I think those things go hand in hand,” Schmidt said. “Bobby Meacham [Hartford’s manager] does a good job reinforcing the team aspect.”

Condon said, “I play my best baseball when it's going toward something that's bigger than me. That's when the best comes out of everybody, or the best comes out of some people. And I think it's definitely the case for me.”