Colorado Rockies 2024 MLB Draft Report Card

Best Pure Hitter: Outfielder Charlie Condon (1) did nothing but rake in his two years with Georgia and set all sorts of offensive records with the program. He’s a career .410/.523/.909 hitter who hammered 62 homers in just 116 games with the sort of bat speed and contact skills that led to consistent plus hit tool projections. He scuffled in his pro debut, however, striking out at a 31.2% clip.

Best Power Hitter: Condon (1) led all D-I hitters with 37 home runs last season and was consistently at the top of the leaderboards in terms of average, 90th percentile and max exit velocities. He has near top-of-the-scale raw power and has the potential to hit for 35+ homers in the majors.

Fastest Runner: Outfielder Jared Thomas (2) is a solid athlete with a good running stride and above-average speed once he’s underway. He split time between first base and center field in college but was drafted as an outfielder and should be able to stick there and play the position well thanks to his running ability.

Best Defensive Player: Catcher Cole Messina (3) was one of the best defensive catchers in the class and, despite a husky frame at 6-foot, 215 pounds, he moves well behind the plate and has great hands to frame pitches with above-average arm strength and a quick exchange. He projects as an above-average defender at the position.

Best Fastball: Righthander Brody Brecht (1s) might be the obvious pick thanks to a 96-97 mph fastball that has consistently been up to 101 mph with hard cutting life that is difficult for hitters to barrel. His attack angle and lack of command for the pitch might make that play down a bit vs. pro hitters however, and righthander Tyler Hampu (18) has a fastball that averaged 94, touched 98 and averaged 20 inches of induced vertical break with Austin Peay last spring. 

Best Secondary Pitch: Brecht’s (1s) slider was one of the better breaking pitches in the class for multiple years and is thrown in the high-80s with sharp biting action. He tinkered with multiple shapes of the pitch during his junior year—a more typical gyro slider and a bigger, sweepier variant—but he has a chance for a double-plus breaking ball regardless of what it winds up looking like. 

Best Pro Debut: Thomas (2) only played eight games with Low-A Fresno after signing but, he hit .333/.389/.546 and led all Colorado draftee hitters with a .934 OPS. Lefthander Konner Eaton (6) pitched 11 innings between Low-A Fresno and High-A Spokane, where he posted a combined 0.82 ERA and managed a 16:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Both his four-seam and two-seam fastball graded out well on BA’s internal Stuff+ metrics. 

Best Athlete: Brecht (1s) played wide receiver for Iowa for two seasons before focusing exclusively on baseball and pitching in 2024 and features a hyper-athletic delivery on the mound with tremendous arm speed. He’s the easy pick, but it’s worth reminding everyone that despite his burly physique, Messina (3) is a uniquely talented athlete behind the plate who turned in eye-popping athletic testing numbers before the draft. 

Most Intriguing Background: Condon (1) followed a similar path to 2023 fourth overall pick Wyatt Langford after redshirting as a freshman and then dominating the SEC in his next two seasons en route to a top overall pick. He was a reasonably under-the-radar high school prospect and is the cousin of Owen Condon, who played for Georgia’s football team as an offensive lineman from 2018-2021.

Closest To The Majors: Condon (1) has the requisite hit/power combination to be an impactful major leaguer in short order. His early pro struggles are too small a sample to get overly concerned about, and his timeline could depend on how the Rockies choose to use and develop him as a defender. He has the potential to play third base, first base and all three outfield positions, though the more demanding assignments could create a slower path. Still, he’s likely to force the issue with his bat.

Best Day Three Pick (Or NDFA): Righthander Sam Gerth (14) has a physical and pro-ready frame at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds with a sinker/slider combination that is solid but could be improved if he can take strides as a strike-thrower.