When the San Diego Padres first signed catcher Ethan Salas, the hope was that he would elevate their catching situation from average to excellent. Salas certainly had the resume for it, but things haven’t worked out quite as planned.
Salas signed with the Padres back in 2023, and the $5.6 million bonus he received was the highest in that draft class. The Venezuelan catcher started with Low-A Lake Elsinore before he turned 17, but he crashed badly when he was rushed to High-A Fort Wayne, where his slash line was just .206/.288/.311.
He rebounded to make the Arizona Fall League All-Star team that year, but Salas played just ten games last year for Double-A San Antonio after suffering a lower-back injury.
The reason the Padres have stuck with him is his defense, which the team believes is Gold Glove-level. He has soft hands, blocks pitches well and has a strong, accurate arm. He was put on the AFL roster back in October, but his back problems flared up again and he was removed from the roster. The Padres subbed in another catching prospect, Lamar King Jr., but San Diego is still insisting that Salas can fulfill his defensive potential if he can stay healthy, and he's currently rated the #1 prospect in the club's system going into 2026.
Offensively, Salas remains a work in progress. He was able to make some stance and swing advancements that helped make him a little more consistent, and his ability to make contact is considered above average. Salas isn’t a power hitter by any means, but he can gap balls for doubles and he knows the strike zone.
This is a big year for Salas, and also for the Padres when it comes to their future behind the plate. Salas is still only 19, but he's only played in 123 games since the end of the 2023 season. He could catch in the big leagues tomorrow, according to Baseball America’s scouting report, but he needs to hit enough to make a successful jump and post good numbers beyond A-ball.
Salas is also blocked to some extent at the major-league level by fellow catching prospect Luis Campusano, whose bat is good enough for the Padres to consider him a potential middle of the order threat.
There were rumors that former manager Mike Shildt was reluctant to play Campusano due to maturity and defensive issues, but the Padres would reap major benefits if Salas can stay healthy and start to hit and Campusano can earn the trust of new manager Craig Stammen.