Ethan Salas, the top prospect in the San Diego Padres farm system, is the second youngest top-100 prospect participating in the Arizona Fall League this season at 18 years old. (Photo by Brendon Pricco/Cronkite News)
PEORIA – Whether behind the plate or in the batter’s box, Ethan Salas’ ability and maturity is evident even within a single at-bat.
At just 18 years of age, the San Diego Padres catching prospect already exudes composure and savviness that will make him an asset for any team – and it has been on full display for the Peoria Javelinas of the Arizona Fall League.
While Padres fans may not expect to see Salas making waves as the organization’s top prospect at such a young age, they might think differently after seeing him on the field. There, his poise and calm demeanor make his youth anything but obvious.
He even projects maturity when asked about the pressure that accompanies his early success.
“(I) try not to make it too big of a deal,” Salas said. “Just going out, competing, having fun, being a good teammate: one of the more important things. Not so much, a lot of the noise that comes with it.”
That approach has worked during his time in the AFL. One of eight Padres’ prospects on the Javelinas’ roster, Salas is having a solid season, hitting .244 with six doubles, three homers and 19 RBI to go along with an .778 OPS, the fifth-highest on the team. He has also caught in 15 games with two errors and three passed balls.
Several attributes, including his elite defense and solid contact, make Salas an impressive prospect who stands out among the rest, but few of those attributes are more notable than his composure.
“I think the maturity level is what impresses me the most,” said Leo Rosales, the Javelinas and Padres’ Arizona Complex League pitching coach. “Our conversations in between innings (are) very positive, and I feel like I’m talking to somebody who’s way, way advanced for his age. So it’s been nice.”
Many teams were likely interested in adding the then-16-year-old Salas, who was named MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 International Prospect in 2023 when he inked a $5.6 million deal with San Diego. At 17, he made his professional baseball debut, playing with Single-A Lake Elsinore, High-A Fort Wayne and Double-A San Antonio but spending most of his time at the Single-A level.
In 48 games, he slashed .267/.350/.487, a solid first taste of professional action. In his first full year with the Fort Wayne TinCaps, he took a minor step back, hitting .206 despite collecting 27 doubles and 53 RBI. However, he still carried his sense of calm that impacts more than only himself; just ask southpaw and fellow Padres prospect Harry Gustin.
The AFL isn’t the only place the young pitcher and Salas have crossed paths. Their tenures in Fort Wayne overlapped slightly, and the two were a battery for four games this season. In those four innings across as many relief appearances, Gustin didn’t allow an earned run and 36 of his 53 pitches landed inside the strike zone.
In that small sample of experience, he was already impressed.
“He’s a mastermind,” Gustin said. “I have the utmost faith in him when he’s behind the plate. He just adds another layer of comfort. He’s a great guy, I have all the trust in the world in him.”
It helps that Salas had a good idea of the AFL’s competition level before he even played a game. Rosales called the league’s talent level “close to Triple-A, big-league caliber baseball,” something that Ethan’s brother, Jose Salas, had a taste of two years ago.
A member of the Miami Marlins system before being dealt to Minnesota about a year later, Jose had a solid 18-game stint for the Mesa Solar Sox in 2022. He posted a .224 average, drove in seven runs and drew eight walks to 12 strikeouts.
“Me and my brothers are really tight,” Salas said. “We’re all really close. (Jose) played here a couple years ago, he was telling me a lot about it. It was a super-fun, super-good experience. So that’s what it’s been so far. It’s been fun being around high-level guys and competing with them.”
In less than two full years, Salas has already cemented himself as one of baseball’s most promising prospects, slotting in at No. 19 in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects. His 2024 campaign was difficult at times, but struggles are to be expected from a young player getting his first taste of professional baseball in the minors.
Despite so much success, he continues to focus on his process and his ultimate goal: making the big leagues and bringing a World Series to San Diego.
“I’ve still got a job to do,” Salas said. “Still got a long road ahead. And I do (think about my success) sometimes, but not a lot. (I) really take it for what it is. Keep going, keep playing hard and hopefully get up there and contribute to a World Series team.”
