Trevor Condon, the Gatorade High School Player of the Year from Georgia, was picked No. 13 overall by the Cardinals in the 2026 MLB Draft. The Cardinals have MLB's most first-day picks -- seven -- in the Draft.
The last time the Cardinals took a high school outfielder from Georgia it was 2020 and the selection became Jordan Walker, who ultimately morphed into a superstar and one of the most feared hitters in MLB in 2026.
That’s certainly the hope the Cards have for Trevor Condon, an 18-year-old from Etowah High School (Ga.), who was selected No. 13 overall by St. Louis in Saturday's first-day action of the MLB Draft. Like Walker, Condon is a Gatorade Player of the Year from Georgia and brimming with the kind of speed and confidence that has some already comparing him to Cubs' star Pete Crow-Armstrong.
After selecting 12 pitchers in the 2025 MLB Draft, left-hander Liam Doyle and right-hander Tanner Franklin, with two of their three top selections, the Cardinals trained their focus on position players with superstar potential. Condon, who had long been committed to play college baseball at the University of Tennessee, was the selection of a Cardinals club eager to address its team speed and athleticism.
Condon, a 5-foot-11, 178-pound outfielder, hits left-handed and throws right-handed and compares somewhat to Crow-Armstrong. Those comparisons arose because of Condon’s 70-grade speed on the basepaths and defensively. (Grading scale: 20 to 80).
"Honestly, my truthful opinion, I've always thought I weas that person," Condon told MLB Network's broadcast team of how long he thought he might be a first-round MLB pick. "I always carried myself with that sort of confidence -- not trying to come off (as cocky) and people can take it however they want to. I know who I am, how I play the game, and I know what I bring to a team and that's a winning mindset as a leader.
"I'm just excited to be in this situation. I kind of figured I would be (drafted early). I couldn't be more blessed than to be a Cardinal. I'm so excited."
Condon, who is no relation to former University of Georgia star and current Rockies prospect Charlie Condon, was the third high school player picked in the first 13 selections.
The Cardinals selected Condon over University of Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick, Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron and Arkansas left-handed starting pitcher Hunter Dietz. Helfrick went No. 15 overall by the Diamondbacks.
St. Louis went into the MLB Draft with the most Day 1 picks (seven) of any MLB club. In addition to picking 13th overall, the Cardinals also possess picks 32, 50, 68, 72, 86 and 114 with which to try and restock the talent pool in their Minor League system. The Cardinals also possess a bonus pool allotment of $16.6 million – the sixth largest such pool to use to lure talent away from college baseball and into their system.
The Cardinals will use a major chunk of that money to keep Condon away from the University of Tennessee, where he was committed to play college baseball.
College players were selected in nine of first 11 picks
The Chicago White Sox took UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the first pick, while the Rays opted for Texas high school shortstop Grady Emerson. Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey, who has been compared to the Cardinals' Walker, went No. 3 to the Twins.
UC-Santa Barbara left-hander Jackson Flora was the only pitcher selected in the Top 10, going No. 4 to the Giants. Outfielders Derek Curiel (Pirates), Zion Rose (Royals), Eric Booth Jr. (Orioles), Drew Burress (Athletics) and AJ Gracia (Braves) went with picks 5-9.
One player on the Cardinals’ radar, University of Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell, went to the Rockies at No. 10. Fellow middle infielder, Texas A&M second baseman Chris Hacopian, went No. 11 to Washington. Nine of the first 11 picks were college baseball players.
At No. 12, California high school Jared Grindlinger was picked by the Angels, whose front office is being run by long-time Cardinals executive John Mozeliak.
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