Padres Have 2 of Baseball's Top-35 Prospects, Per MLB Pipeline

Maren Angus-Coombs | Jan 30, 2025

Mar 26, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Ethan Salas (88) throws to first base during the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images / Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres have had an interesting offseason. They have seen Jurickson Profar leave for the Atlanta Braves and Roki Sasaki sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

However, the farm system does have some promising talent.

According to MLB Pipeline, the Padres have two of the game's top-35 prospects. Leodalis De Vries enters the 2025 season ranked No. 18 and Ethan Salas is at No. 33.

"San Diego landed the two best international prospects in 2023 and 2024 and has been aggressive with both to mixed results," per Pipeline. "De Vries jumped straight to Single-A Lake Elsinore and dominated as a switch-hitter from July 1 onward before a right shoulder strain ended his regular season. (He played in the Arizona Fall League afterward.)

"Salas posted just a .599 OPS over 111 games in his age-18 season with High-A Fort Wayne, but he remains a strong defender behind the plate and showed some promising adjustments late in the summer that he also carried to the AFL. Their presence gives San Diego two potential stars in a system left top-heavy by trades in recent years."

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The same two players also landed in Baseball America's Top 100 prospects with the only difference being Salas, who is ranked No. 31.

Both players headlined their respective international classes. Salas was signed in 2023 as a catcher and De Vries in 2024 as a shortstop.

Ethan Salas and Leodalis De Vries are two of baseball's brightest international stars.

The @Padres duo is growing by leaps and bounds as a tandem in the @MLBazFallLeague en route to the Majors: https://t.co/xRD0LS3tEA pic.twitter.com/tADXBB4XmS

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) October 17, 2024

Switch-hitter De Vries began his career at low Single-A Lake Elsinore, posting a .238/.361/.442 slash line with 11 home runs in 75 games before a shoulder injury sidelined him. He returned in time to make an impact in the Arizona Fall League, where he became the youngest player to hit a home run since Bryce Harper.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Salas showcased his power in the Arizona Fall League, hitting four home runs as an All-Star. This followed a challenging season at high Single-A Fort Wayne, where he struggled offensively as one of the youngest players, finishing with a .599 OPS and four home runs over 111 games.

“They're crazy. They're competitors,” said left-handed pitching prospect Harry Gustin, who was also a member of the Padres’ Fall League contingent and a teammate of both De Vries and Salas in 2024. “Leo De Vries, that guy wants to win more than anybody. He's a great teammate to have. I would not like to face him.

"Same with Salas, he's a mastermind behind the plate. I love throwing to him, he makes me look great. His maturity, he's off the charts. He's a great kid. I love them both.”

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