After the Atlanta Braves won their 5th consecutive game on Friday night while the Phillies fell to the Brewers, the magic number to win the NL East is down to 14 games. With the Braves on this current hot streak, we could see this number continue to drop at a rapid pace.
With the magic number at 14, we cannot go without mentioning that this is the number of consecutive division titles the Braves won in the time frame of 1991-2005. However, we are going to focus on the career that fan favorite Martin Prado had during his time with the Atlanta Braves.
Martin Prado spent a total of seven seasons with the Braves. He was only recognized as an all-star one season (2010) but he was an impact player all the time. Prado was most known for being a super utility player. He was able to produce in all of the following positions: outfielder, third base, shortstop, second base, and first base. If that is not enough, he was even listed as the Braves emergency catcher at the time.
The versatility Prado brought to the team was valued so much that it prompted the Braves to make a commercial about how Martin Prado was good at everything.
Prado finished 9th in MVP voting in 2010 and 20th in 2012. Over his seven seasons with Atlanta, he had a total of three seasons where his batting average was over .300. He consistently put up double-digit home runs during that time.
Prado was not a power-hitter by any means but he played to his strengths very well. Typically hitting second in the Atlanta Braves order, Prado took pride in striking out at a very low rate. In his entire career, he only had two seasons where he struck out more than 80 times. Aside from those two seasons, he never struck out more than 70 times in a season.
Martin Prado is one of those players who will forever be remembered by Braves fans for the lasting impact he made every time he stepped on the field.
The Braves will look to drop their magic number on Saturday and take a third consecutive game from the Dodgers.