Jordan Henry celebrated his 21st birthday by beginning his professional baseball career. On his 22nd, he took his first real step toward the big leagues.

Henry, the former Vicksburg High and Ole Miss star, was called up to Double-A Akron last week after just 109 games in the Cleveland Indians organization. Double-A is halfway to the majors and reaching that level is often considered a big accomplishment for prospects.

“Last year I wouldn’t have thought it. It was hard to see myself there because I hadn’t even started minor league ball yet,” said Henry, who was picked by the Indians in the seventh round of the 2009 draft.

Henry was an all-star in the New York-Penn League last year and started 2010 with the Kinston Indians of the Carolina League, the highest level of Single-A ball. He hit .333, with 32 runs scored and 14 stolen bases in 42 games with Kinston and got the call-up on June 13 — his 22nd birthday. It was one year and three days after he was drafted.

“It’s a great birthday present,” Henry said with a laugh.

The early promotion was a surprise to Henry. Despite his strong performance this season, most prospects spend at least one full season in Single-A ball before getting a shot at the next level. Henry’s older brother Justin, for instance, is in his first season with the Double-A Erie SeaWolves after three years with the Detroit Tigers’ various Single-A affiliates.

“I feel like I’ve been playing well and hitting the ball well. They said I did a lot of the small things they like from the leadoff spot, like getting on base and scoring runs,” Jordan Henry said.

Henry put those skills on display in his first week with the Akron Aeros. He was thrust into the leadoff spot in his Double-A debut on Tuesday and started the game with a walk. Despite going hitless in his first two games, he drew a pair of walks, scored a run and laid down a sacrifice bunt.

Henry’s first hit with the Aeros came in his third game, a third-inning single in a 9-6 loss to New Hampshire. He finished that game 2-for-3 with two singles and two walks, stole a base and scored a run. In his first five games with Akron he’s reached base nine times and scored four runs in 23 plate appearances.

If the Indians are enamored with Henry’s style of smallball, it’s something he’s good at. Of his 125 career hits in the minors, only 16 have gone for extra bases. All of them were doubles. He’s stolen 37 bases and scored 83 runs in 113 total games, showing he can produce runs even without a powerful swing.

Henry said his goal is to keep doing what he’s doing, and not worry about changing his style to make a bigger impression.

“You want to set your goals high, and that’s what we want to be able to do is move up as quickly as you can. All you can do is produce on the field. That’s someone else’s call that you can’t control,” Henry said. “It’s a great opportunity. That’s what it’s all about is to keep having opportunities. I’m definitely looking forward to it and to doing well on a higher level.”

Henry is also looking forward to a pair of series next month. Akron is scheduled to play Erie in eight consecutive games from July 9 through July 18. The two four-game series are sandwiched around the Eastern League All-Star Game on July 14, and will mark the first time Jordan Henry has played against his older brother Justin.

The two players, born three years apart, have always been separated by age as they climbed the baseball ranks. Despite playing for the same high school and college teams, they only played one season together at Ole Miss in 2007.

“I gave him a call after I found out. We’ve been talking already some, about giving each other scouting reports on pitchers,” Jordan Henry said. “It’s exciting to be able to play against him. The only time I played with him was my freshman year at Ole Miss.”