Padres top prospect Salas catching big leaguers at Triple-A ... and hitting like one too
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Two years ago, as Yu Darvish began to work his way back toward Petco Park, he made a rehab start for High-A Fort Wayne. The catcher that day was 18-year-old Ethan Salas.
Fast-forward to Thursday night with right-hander Joe Musgrove making what could possibly be his final rehab start before returning to the Padres’ big league rotation, and the catcher was once again Salas.
San Diego’s No. 1 prospect was in an offensive malaise when he caught Darvish two summers ago, but he’s red-hot at the plate right now. Now 20, Salas delivered a three-hit performance in Triple-A El Paso’s 5-4 win over Oklahoma City at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. His big night included an RBI triple that came off the bat at 105.3 mph, his fifth ball in play to exceed 105+ mph since his promotion on July 29.
The multihit outing marked his ninth such instance with the Chihuahuas, raising his Triple-A average to .325 in 22 contests. He’s on pace for career highs at a single level in all three slash categories, with a .402 on-base percentage and a .554 slugging percentage, and he’s done it all while walking (12) more than he’s struck out (nine times).
Salas has always been supremely young for his level. After all, not once during his pro career has he dug into the box and faced a pitcher younger than him. That's been further exacerbated at Triple-A, where he's the youngest everyday regular. But now that he’s reached the Minors’ highest level, facing older pitchers means taking on ones with big league innings under their belt. Such was the case Thursday, as his first two knocks came off seven-year MLB vet Cole Irvin.
Once ranked as high as the No. 8 overall prospect prior to the start of the 2024 campaign, this season has been an enormous bounce back for Salas, who has reclaimed much of his previous prospect shine. After a back injury waylaid most of ‘25, the 20-year-old added strength and stability in the weight room, and that’s helped him produce his most consistent offensive campaign yet. He checks in at No. 23 overall on the Top 100 Prospects list as the year winds down.
MLB’s No. 4 catching prospect has long been heralded as an elite defender. His 70-grade fielding tool is tops among all ranked backstop prospects and he complements it with an above-average throwing arm. Salas previously caught Musgrove during his first El Paso rehab start on Aug. 9, has been behind the dish for other big leaguers such as José Leclerc and J.P. France, and had the advantage of working with multiple members of the club's Major League staff during his latest invite to big league camp this spring.
“I think it’s huge being able to learn as much as you possibly can from people who have done it and have been through a lot in the game of baseball,” Salas said earlier this year. “Being able to be with big-name guys and pick their minds and what works for them, it’s huge.
“[I’m] always trying to learn. Been around the game of baseball since [I] was little, so being able to learn from other people and see if it helps in any way possible, I think that’s a great advantage.”