Padres 17-Year-Old Prospect Continues to Impress Franchise Early into Career

The future of San Diego!

The San Diego Padres' main focus right now is obviously on their main core as they have committed hundreds of millions of dollars into their current roster and are looking to turn their season around. They have yet to live up to their preseason hype and they did not bring together such star power just to use 2023 as an experiment year.

Then, when you look at the blockbuster trade they made in 2022 for Juan Soto, they parted ways with a number of top pitching prospects to land the superstar. Soto is still only 24-years-old and so is Fernando Tatis Jr. so those are two huge building blocks for the Friars moving forward.

But San Diego is also trying to get rid of the notion that they cannot hold onto any home-grown talent and succeed. That was one of the biggest talking points in their two series against the Dodgers this season and they want to have prospects that can play key roles down the line.

This is where Ethan Salas enters the chat.

Happy Birthday to Ethan Salas who is NO LONGER a 16-year-old. But, we hope you all will still follow along for year 17…#StormTheLake pic.twitter.com/C2zhmcPXle

— Lake Elsinore Storm (@Storm_Baseball) June 2, 2023

Padres fans may remember getting their first look at him during Spring Training and his 17th birthday just passed. He has now gotten his first couple of reps at low Single-A Lake Elsinore and has the city excited to see him growing at such a young age.

Salas is well-aware that most kids his age do not have the opportunity that is in front of him right now. He is not taking it for granted and has his coaching staff raving about his commitment and work ethic during his early stages of his professional career.

“Ethan was the first at the complex every day, doing his routine, doing what he needed to do to prepare for the day,” Padres assistant farm director

Mike Daly

said. “As we watched Ethan, his professionalism, his routine, he was very consistent. It became very evident that he was ready to handle everything on and off the field in Lake Elsinore.”

(Via The San Diego-Union Tribune)

Padres 16-year-old prospect Ethan Salas just picked up his first pro hit in his first at bat!pic.twitter.com/i3oWiLfP1r

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 31, 2023

We cannot wait to see Salas continue to thrive with the Friars!