One of the spring training positional battles that Colorado Rockies fans watched took place at first base.<\/p>\n
Would recent trade T.J. Rumfield<\/a> get the nod or Rockies top prospect Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP<\/a>)?<\/p>\n In the end, president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta went with Rumfield, sending Condon to Triple-A Albuquerque to continue his preparation. Before leaving camp, Condon was determined but philosophical about the assignment.<\/p>\n For Condon, his first spring training<\/a> was a productive one as he focused on putting \u201cintention\u201d into his training. His spring training stats suggested that his approach worked, and it\u2019s given him a foundation to build on going forward.<\/p>\n \u201cI just think it\u2019s about not trying to do more than I\u2019ve already done,\u201d Condon said, \u201cjust taking the same approach every day. I\u2019m not going to try to go out in the season and try to be somebody that I know I\u2019m not \u2014 just put my best foot forward every day and letting my work and actions speak for myself.\u201d<\/p>\n For Condon, that meant taking advantage of setting his own schedule.<\/p>\n \u201cComing up playing baseball from the youth age all the way through college, you\u2019re kind of always told what to do and where to be at all times,\u201d he said. \u201cSo just being able to call your own shots a little bit has been an adjustment for me, but has been nice to be able to kind of dictate my routine and do what I need to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Part of that time was spent refreshing his outfield skills given that he spent much of 2025 exclusively at first base.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, it\u2019s been a minute since I\u2019ve played out there,\u201d Condon said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was kind of a hope and goal of mine this offseason to get out in spaces other than just first base, and not be pigeon-holed there,\u201d he addded. \u201cAnd then the more you play out there, the more balls you get, the more innings you spend out there, the more comfortable you\u2019re going to be. And I felt like that was the case this spring.\u201d<\/p>\n His focus was also on getting stronger.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m young compared to a lot of the guys in that clubhouse. My body can handle a little bit more,\u201d Condon said.<\/p>\n \u201cI need to push myself a little bit more to continue to get stronger. I mean, a lot of those guys got grown-man strength and dad strength and all that stuff, which, at 22, I\u2019m still working on, but just continue to push myself to be stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n He also had a supportive clubhouse where he felt welcome despite being a non-roster invite.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a handful of guys I can give praise to,\u201d Condon said. \u201cBrett Sullivan<\/a>, Nicky Lopez<\/a>, Troy Johnston, Brenton Doyle<\/a> . . . I mean, just countless guys that were really good and reached out and were making me feel comfortable on a day-to-day basis.\u201d<\/p>\n Plus, Condon appreciates the value of competition.<\/p>\n \u201cI was there to get the best out of myself, and then also get the best out of everybody in the clubhouse,\u201d Condon said. \u201cSo I think that first base competition and everything we had going on there was really productive for a lot of guys.<\/p>\n It helps that his time in The Show coming.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, we\u2019ve got a really good squad up top so far this year, and I\u2019m excited to watch some of those guys play and hopefully be a part of it later this year.\u201d<\/p>\n He added, \u201cObviously I want to play in the big leagues, and I want to do everything I can to make that happen. But at the same time, I understand how baseball works. I understand the timelines and things like that. And I understand that I\u2019m also not a finished product. I may have had a good spring \u2014 I may have hit well, I may have turned some heads \u2014 but I\u2019m not done developing as a player, and I plan on being an even better player whenever I do make it up.\u201d<\/p>\n If Saturday night\u2019s Albuquerque Isotopes game is any question, Condon will be forcing his way into a Coors Field lineup sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n Weekly Pebble Report: March 27th-29th<\/p>\n Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes (1-2)<\/p>\n The Isotopes kicked off the season against the Oklahoma City Comets, the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Rockies were concentrated on improving the quality of depth at their highest farm team, stocking up the roster with 18 new faces, and featuring 15 players who have seen time in the Major Leagues.<\/p>\n After winning the season opener behind a fantastic pitching performance from Tanner Gordon, the pitching struggled in the next two games as the Isotopes were outscored 26-10 in those games. The worst of the pitching happened on Saturday after the Isotopes went up 6-1 at one point, but then surrendered 12 unanswered runs.<\/p>\n As for the offense, the Isotopes showcased an ability to make contact, a major benefactor in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, and draw walks. However, much like the big league club over the weekend, strikeouts were bothersome, and most of the lineup hasn\u2019t settled into finding those extra-base hits quite yet.<\/p>\n \u2b06\ufe0f Stock Up: Charlie Muscle<\/p>\n After a strong spring training campaign, Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP<\/a>) carried the momentum into his weekend debut in Triple-A. He got his first hit on Friday before turning around a fantastic performance in the second game of the season. On Saturday, Condon went 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs and five RBI, along with a pair of walks. He added another pair of hits on Sunday to close out the series, and while the season is young, he leads the Isotopes with a .500\/.643\/1.100 slashline. Condon also got to showcase his defensive versatility, starting two games at first base and one in right field.<\/p>\n Collin Baumgartner has slowly moved his way up through the Rockies system since signing with the team in 2023 as an undrafted free agent in 2023. He finished the 2025 season as a member of the Isotopes and had a good run, posting a 2.47 ERA over 22 1\/3 innings. Unfortunately, his first outing of the year was a bit of a rough one as he allowed four runs on four hits, including a home run, in his lone inning of work on Sunday. It was the three walks that hurt him in the end, a bit uncharacteristic of the abilities he has shown through his minor league career. Still, it\u2019s just his first outing; there is plenty of time to right the ship.<\/p>\n The Isotopes kick off their first homestand of the year this evening, welcoming the Reno Aces (Arizona Diamondbacks). Gabriel Hughes (No. 12 PuRP<\/a>) will take the mound in the home opener.<\/p>\n Fewer adsCreate community posts<\/a>Comment on articles, community postsRec comments, community postsNew, improved notifications system!<\/p>\n