Padres' Ethan Salas Could Join Elite Company in the Very Near Future

Will Salas achieve this rare feat?

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres hold one of the most talented young prospects in the minor leagues in catcher Ethan Salas. The Padres signed Salas as an international free agent in 2023 on a $5.6 million deal. Salas was just 16 years old at the time.

Salas is now coming off of his second season in the minor leagues. Salas played on three teams in his first minor league season in 2023, playing for the Padres' Single-A, High-A, and even Double-A affiliates. His nine games in Double-A came when Salas was just 17 years old.

Salas has the opportunity to continue to make rare waves in baseball as just a teenager. MLB.com projects Salas, their No. 19 overall ranked prospect, to make his MLB debut in 2026. If Salas does debut before June 1, 2026, he would become the first catcher to make his debut as a teenager since Iván Rodriguez did so in 1991. Rodriguez went on to become a 14-time MLB All-Star and a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

“That would be cool; that would be ideal,” Salas said, via Kyle Odegard of Sports Casting. “But it’s just going out to play and not skipping any steps along the road. I think, yeah, it would be cool to do everything really young and rush everything, but when I’m ready, they’ll know I’m ready to go. I’d prefer that than rushing it with a lot of holes in my game. If I’m good enough, I’ll be where I’m supposed to be, so I’ll let baseball take care of what it needs to take care of.”

Salas still has a ways to go before making his debut. The 18-year-old spent the entire 2024 season with just one minor league affiliate, the Padres' High-A affiliate. Salas struggled at times with Single-A Fort Wayne in 2024, and finished the season slashing .206/.288/.311 with 85 hits, 35 runs, four home runs, and 35 RBIs.

Baseball has largely come easy for Salas over his lifetime, but the 2024 season saw him face adversity over an extended period for the first time. Salas handled these challenges with the right mentality, and could need more time to become ready to debut at his current pace.