the hot corner

There’s always something to watch at the ballpark, even if the local nine isn’t doing so hot. The Mississippi Braves, who return to Trustmark Park tonight to begin a five-game homestand, are still languishing near the bottom of the Southern League South. But Joe Leonard, the big third baseman, returns on a bit of a roll. He hit three home runs and drove in nine runs on the 10-game trip. Chipper Jones will retire at the end of this season — or so they say — which means Atlanta will need a third baseman in 2013. Leonard, who turns 24 on Aug. 26, could be in the mix come spring. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound right-handed hitter is batting .267 with 20 doubles, nine homers, 56 RBIs and 52 runs in his first Double-A season. Atlanta took him in the third round in the 2010 draft out of Pitt, where he was the Big East Conference player of the year. You want power in a third baseman, and Leonard is starting to show some. He hit four homers in 148 at-bats in his first pro season, then belted eight in 110 games at high-A Lynchburg last season. Leonard didn’t hit his first M-Braves homer until mid-May. He has now hit seven since June 12. His defense (10 errors) has been solid; he doubled as a closer at Pitt and has a strong arm. Leonard is definitely one to keep an eye on over what remains of this season.