Q >> Charlie Condon is obviously not close to making the big club, but how’s he doing in minor league camp? Is he beginning to gain traction as a professional baseball player?

— John, Denver

Patrick >> Condon, the third overall pick in last summer’s draft with sky-high expectations, had a terrible debut professional season. At the Rockies’ fanfest in January, general manager Bill Schmidt said there was a reason for that.

“The thing with Charlie last year … he had bruised his thumb and kinda didn’t tell us that he had bruised his thumb,” Schmidt said. “So he kinda played through it, which I think affected the performance.”

Condon hit just .180 with one home run, four doubles, 11 RBIs and a .518 OPS in 25 games at High-A Spokane. That was disappointing, considering he won the Golden Spikes Award at the University of Georgia last year, hitting .433 with 37 home runs, 20 doubles, 78 RBIs and a 1.565 OPS in 60 games.

It’s hard to judge where Condon is now. Minor league camp is just that, a camp. We won’t know much more about Condon until the season begins. I expect he will return to High-A Spokane to start 2025. I still believe he’s going to be an impactful major league player.

Q >> How far away is Drew Romo from being the starting everyday catcher?

— Cooper, Calgary, Alberta

Patrick >> Romo is at least another season away. That’s one of the reasons why the Rockies re-signed veteran Jacob Stallings. Romo does some things very well and he’s improved his blocking skills. He’s also more confident managing a game. Manager Bud Black said there has been “marked improvement” in Romo’s all-around game.

Romo played in 16 games in his debut 2024 season, hitting .176 (9 for 51) with a .208 on-base percentage. He got little playing time down the stretch because the Rockies wanted to see what Hunter Goodman could do. Romo hasn’t hit for power while Goodman has, so I think Goodman will make the 26-man roster and Romo will begin in Triple-A Albuquerque.

Romo is only 23 and he was drafted straight out of high school, so he faced a steep learning curve. Catching is one of the most challenging positions in team sports and it will take more time for him to become a primary catcher.

Q >> What is Sean Bouchard’s future on the team? He took a step back last season, but he’s (shown) a lot of good stuff but isn’t talked about much.

— Spencer, Golden

Patrick >> Injuries have been the main topic regarding Bouchard over the last two seasons. That’s a shame because he’s shown glimpses of being a solid, steady outfielder when healthy.

Bouchard, 28, is having a solid spring and I would not rule him out for a spot on the 26-man roster. Entering Tuesday, Bouchard was hitting .444 (7 for 18), with one homer, two doubles, one triple, three RBIs, four strikeouts and no walks. Cactus League statistics can be misleading, but Bouchard has looked good.

Bouchard debuted in 2022 with a big splash, hitting .297 with a .954 OPS and three homers in 28 games. But he had surgery for torn left biceps in spring 2023. Last season, Bouchard suffered an oblique injury and began the year at Triple-A Albuquerque. He played in just 31 big-league games and hit .187 with one homer. He had postseason surgery for a fractured hamate in his right hand.

Bouchard is a strong, dark horse candidate to make the roster.