It's easy to forget sometimes that Padres No. 2 prospect Ethan Salas is still just 19 years old.
He was the No. 1 international prospect in 2023 and a top 10 prospect in MLB in 2024. The lefty-hitting catcher appeared to be on the fast track to stardom.
But lackluster results at High-A in '24 (.206 average, .599 OPS in 111 games) preceded a 2025 back injury that sidelined Salas for nearly the entire season. That caused his stock to slip, and by the start of 2026, Salas had fallen off MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list.
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But prospect development is not linear. Each player's game matures at its own rate. And now, Salas -- who is still a teenager for a few more weeks -- appears to be blossoming at Double-A.
He cracked a leadoff home run for San Antonio on Friday as part of a 7-2 loss to Tulsa at ONEOK Field, before going deep again Saturday during a 5-4 defeat. Salas is up to five homers in his previous seven games, already exceeding his 2024 total.
Salas is doing much more than launching dingers, too. He has 10 extra-base hits in 21 games this season and an 11 percent walk rate. That's contributed to his stellar .315/.390/.589 slash line through 82 plate appearances at Double-A. That's quite a jump for a player who owned a .221/.305/.347 slash line as a pro before this season.
Salas' success thus far is a good reminder of why he was held in such high regard not too long ago. Oh, and he's thriving this season while still being the second-youngest player in the Texas League. He will celebrate his 20th birthday on June 1.