routes

A fourth of the major league season is in the books, and a pair of Atlanta Braves — both Mississippi Braves alums — have emerged as viable All-Star candidates. Martin Prado, in just his second season as a regular, leads the National League in hits, and the amazing rookie Jason Heyward ranks in the top 10 in RBIs while leading the Braves in homers. These homegrown standouts took very different routes to The Show. Heyward was the 14th overall pick in 2007 and was a top-rated prospect from Day 1. He moved smoothly through two levels in each of his first two pro years, bolted through three in 2009 (hitting .352 with seven homers for the M-Braves) and made the Braves’ opening day lineup this spring. Then he homered in his first at-bat. He’s the kind of player Braves officials knew would make the big leagues, the kind you just don’t want to mess up along the way. Prado, on the other hand, is a prime example of a player who was developed into a major leaguer. No one had heard of him when he signed out of Venezuela at age 17 in 2001. He spent two seasons in the Dominican Summer League and another in the Gulf Coast League, the lowest levels of the minors. Placed at low Class A Rome in 2004, he hit .315. He started ’05 at high A Myrtle Beach and showed enough in 75 games that he was bumped to Double-A Mississippi, where he fit like a glove. Then M-Braves manager Brian Snitker raved about Prado. He started ’06 in Pearl and was called to Atlanta in April, getting a triple in his first game. He stuck in the majors in 2008 and finally became a regular at second base last summer, displacing Kelly Johnson. As much hubbub as Heyward has generated the first two months, the soul of this Braves club so far has been Prado.