Prospects getting playoff experience in Minors

WASHINGTON — Braves general manager John Coppolella has long had an aspiration to win a World Series and have the top farm system within the same season. His desire to realize this goal has led him to work in conjunction with his scouting and player development staff to create a pipeline that provides regular waves of big league talent over an extended period.

As the likes of Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Chipper Jones, David Justice, and Javy Lopez reached the big league level over a stretch that extended from the late 1980s to the early ’90s, the Braves developed a base around which to build their 14 consecutive division winners from 1991-2005.

Recognizing how beneficial this tier of talent proved to be a quarter of a century ago, Coppolella is thrilled that four of his club’s six Minor League affiliates — Triple-A Gwinnett, Double-A Mississippi, Class A Rome and the Gulf Coast Braves — qualified for the playoffs this year. This marks the first time the franchise has had four clubs reach the postseason since 1989, when Atlanta had eight different affiliates.

“What’s exciting to me is not that we’re winning, it’s how we’re winning,” Coppolella said. “We’re doing it with kids that are younger than the kids they’re …

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