After overcoming injury and slumping stock, teenage phenom Ethan Salas is silencing critics in El Paso, crushing Triple-A pitching and accelerating his timeline to the San Diego infield.
The San Diego Padres may have the worst farm system in all of baseball, especially after being aggressive buyers at the trade deadline, but they do have one prized possession – catcher Ethan Salas.
As the No. 1 prospect of the 2023 international free agency class, Salas chose to sign with San Diego for $5.6 million. Coming in with plus potential both behind and at the plate, the 16-year-old had all the hype in the world.
His first year in the Padres’ system was a success, slashing .248/.331/.421 with a .752 OPS in 66 games across three different levels. As a result, he entered the 2024 campaign as a top 10 prospect in all of baseball.
That status would slide, however, as he struggled mightily from the plate in 113 games with San Diego’s High-A affiliate. He failed to record an OPS above .600, dropping his projected ranking to the mid-30s-40s entering 2025.
2025 was the lowest point for Salas, who would only play 10 games in Double-A due to a stress fracture in his back. In that short sample size, the Venezuelan prospect only recorded a .544 OPS.
With some around baseball now starting to question his previous evaluations, the 19-year-old entered this year with a chip on his shoulder. He started the year in Double-A, becoming a serious producer at the plate once again. Recording 74 hits, 14 stolen bases, and a .778 OPS in 72 games, Salas reclaimed his spot as one of the best prospects in baseball.
Just before the end of July, the Padres promoted Salas to Triple-A. In his 11 games with the El Paso Chihuahuas, Salas has put his star potential on full display. He recorded three hits and two RBIs in his first game, not looking back since.
Slashing .326/.404/.605 with a 1.009 OPS, Salas is proving he’s closer to reaching the bigs than previously thought. He now ranks as the No. 30 prospect in baseball, sure to rise at the season's end.
The Padres’ belief in Salas never wavered, holding onto him year after year despite being perpetual buyers at the trade deadline. Now, the Padres look sure to reap the benefits of Salas’ talent in a pretty near future. San Diego has Freddy Fermin and Luis Campusano as the major league catchers, with Fermin being more of the defensive choice while Campusano provides more offense.
Fermin won’t be a free agent until after the 2029 season, but he is already 31 years old. Meanwhile, Campusano will hit free agency after the 2028 season at 30 years old. This leaves a couple more seasons of development for Salas in the minors if the Padres wanted to wait, but that seems unlikely with his bounce-back 2026.
How the Padres decide to make room for Salas will be something to keep an eye on during the offseason. Perhaps they sell high on Campusano, who is having his best offensive season yet despite constant ups and downs throughout his career. Or maybe they decide to get rid of the older of the two in Fermin.
It's even a possibility for Salas to make his major league debut before the season's end. It's probably unlikely given the positivity with the current duo holding down the catching position in San Diego, but the likelihood is nonzero.
General manager A.J. Preller has that problem to figure out, but it is a good problem to have. One thing that is for certain is that Salas is making it harder and harder to wait, and the Padres were wise in sticking with him through the ups and downs. His finish in Triple-A this season could have major effects on the Padres’ offseason this winter.
