Padres News: Top Prospect Ethan Salas Done for the Season

The Friars top prospect is done for the year...

Ethan Salas is the future of the Padres organization.

At just 17 years of age, Salas was flying through the minor league baseball circuit starting in the Venezuelan league and sprinting through low and high A baseball and is now the youngest player in Double-A baseball at 17.

Unfortunately, a knee sprain most likely just shut his 2023 season down.

#Padres top prospect Ethan Salas' 2023 season likely over with right knee sprain.

Expected to be down four weeks and Double-A @missionsmilb calendar likely to run out on him, even with a postseason run. https://t.co/ynBjLQRZcy pic.twitter.com/JNafprfjWi

— Jeff Sanders (@sdutSanders) September 5, 2023

Salas is special, he is already the Friars top prospect according to MLB Pipeline, but he is also the youngest player in history to be a top 5 MLB Pipeline prospect.

At just 17 years old, Ethan Salas is making quite the name for himself. 👀 pic.twitter.com/HYySfrioDw

— MLB (@MLB) August 11, 2023

Salas was hitting well at Single-A hitting a .267 average with an impressive .837 OPS. The more impressive number is in just 48 games Salas had 9 home runs and 13 other extra base hits.

Being called up to Double-A Salad only managed to play in 9 games for the San Antonio Missions where he went 5-28. 

The teenager struggled but at least fans and players know he is human.

Now on Salas' plate is recovery and growth, he has time on his side and a lot of it. 

His projected debut from MLB Pipeline is that Salas will reach the Major Leagues in 2026 but with the Padres' tendency of promoting many young players, an MLB debut for Salas may come while he is still a teenager.

Whether it is next year or the year after that, Salas is on the path to becoming the franchise backstop for a team that has been looking for one for years.