and future Major League Baseball (MLB) teammate Kason Gabbard. In 2000, Saltalamacchia and Gabbard helped take Royal Palm Beach to a state championship title. His father wanted Saltalamacchia to play gridiron football, but he was singularly focused on baseball. By his junior year, he was drawing interest from MLB scouts. Professional career Draft and minor leagues The Atlanta Braves selected Saltalamacchia in the supplemental first round, 36th overall, of the 2003 MLB Draft. On June 3, 2003, he agreed to a contract with the team for a signing bonus of $950,000, and he spent his first season of professional baseball with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League (GCL) Braves. At the time, he had committed to play college baseball for the Florida State Seminoles, but college coach Mike Martin told him, "If you go first round, take your money and go." In 46 games, Saltalamacchia batted .239 with two home runs and 14 runs batted in (RBIs) in 134 at-bats. After helping take the team to a GCL championship title, Saltalamacchia was promoted to the Class A Rome Braves for the 2004 season. In 91 games there, Saltalamacchia batted .272, recording 10 home runs and 51 RBIs in 323 at-bats. 2005 proved to be a breakout year for Saltalamacchia, who was named the Myrtle Beach Pelicans' Most Valuable Player, as well as the top prospect in the Class A-Advanced Carolina League, by batting .314, hitting 19 home runs, and setting a club single-season record with 81 RBIs. After the conclusion of the regular Minor League Baseball season, Saltalamacchia was one of two Pelicans selected to play for the Phoenix Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League, alongside outfielder Josh Burrus. In an additional 21 fall league games, Saltalamacchia batted .288, adding one home run and eight RBIs to his season totals. Entering the 2006 season as one of Atlanta's top prospects, Saltalamacchia was assigned to the Double-A Mississippi Braves. He had what Braves manager Bobby Cox referred to as "an off year" in Mississippi: despite flashes of strong batting in July and August, his overall average for the year was only .230, with nine home runs and 39 RBIs. He stayed in Mississippi to begin the 2007 season, with the anticipation that he would be promoted to the Triple-A Richmond Braves at some point in the year. Saltalamacchia also made another Arizona Fall League appearance in 2006, going 13-for-23 in six