Padres' Lone Prospect In Top 100 Rankings Is Already In Record Books

In a way, boasting top prospects has been a priority for the San Diego Padres in recent years. It hasn’t quite been to watch them play at a major league level in Petco Park, however. Instead, the Padres have become masters at developing their top prospects and showing them off enough to include them in trades that bring MLB stars back to San Diego.

That strategy has worked for general manager A.J. Preller and the Padres, who just enjoyed their third consecutive season with at least 90 wins. San Diego is in the midst of their most successful era in franchise history, reaching the postseason in five of the last seven seasons. As previously mentioned, however, there is a price to pay for that.

It explains why the Padres have just one representative on Bleacher Report’s latest Top 100 prospect ranking. Of course, that player is catcher Ethan Salas, who was ranked No. 13.

Despite the many trades over the years in which San Diego has opted for MLB-ready players over prospects, Salas has remained untouched, showing an immense belief in him coming from the higher-ups at the club – and for good reason.

The Padres signed Salas at just 16 years old for a record-setting $5.6 million back in 2023, and he immediately looked to be worth every penny. In his first season in professional baseball at just 17 years old, Salas recorded a .752 OPS while hitting nine home runs and driving in 41 runs across 66 games in Single-A, High-A, and Double-A.

Entering 2024 as a top-10 prospect in baseball by most publications, Salas took a major step back that season. His batting average stayed just barely above the Mendoza Line, and his OPS dropped below .600 in 113 games in High-A. His 2025 season didn’t exactly inspire much hope either, playing just 10 games to the tune of a .544 OPS due to injury.

Last season was a pivotal moment in Salas’ career, who had been falling lower and lower on the prospect rankings. 2026 ended up being not just a step back in the right direction, but a huge leap forward for the now 20-year-old. He rose through Double-A and Triple-A while posting an .822 OPS, earning himself a call-up to the bigs at the end of the season.

In the majors, Salas recorded a .256/.275/.462 slash line for a .737 OPS. Keep in mind, the best part of Salas’ game is not his bat. He doesn’t just have immense defensive potential as a catcher, but he is already one of the better backstops in the majors. He displays lightning-fast pop times that are enough to scare off any potential base stealers.

Salas should only get better with time, but he’s already made history by becoming the youngest catcher in MLB history to start a playoff game. The Padres have a bit of a pileup at the catcher position, but Salas will undoubtedly get the priority at the position in 2027 after how he handled his major league stint at the end of the year.