It's only 28 games into the career of 17-year-old Ethan Salas, but he's already living up to the advance billing.
On Thursday, the second-ranked Padres prospect added a couple more superlatives to his burgeoning resume. First, Salas extended his home run streak to three straight games for Single-A Lake Elsinore. And then he went yard again -- his first pro multihomer game -- in the Storm's 16-9 win over host Visalia.
Salas filled the stat sheet in the victory with four RBIs, three runs and two walks in the high-scoring affair. His two homers traveled an estimated combined distance of over 800 feet.
Baseball's No. 50 overall prospect extended his streak with a towering blast to left-center field in the top of the third inning, getting ahold of a center-cut fastball by right-handed D-backs prospect Lorenzo Encarnacion and sending it out of Valley Strong Ballpark for a solo homer.
After a four-pitch walk in the fifth, Salas stroked another center-cut pitch by righty reliever Josh Swales to straight-away center for a three-run blast the following inning. It was his sixth long ball of the season, and his career.
In the eighth, he drew another base on balls (his 20th of the season) and scored his third run of the game.
Young enough to attend a high school prom, Salas has been captivating the baseball world with his impressive power and patience at the plate. He is just the third player in the past five seasons to play in the California League at age 17.
But despite his youth, the Venezuelan signee born in Kissimmee, Fla., continues to perform well beyond his years despite the fact that he is more than four years younger than the age of the average California League players, and tonight’s offensive outburst was just the latest example of that.
Salas' impressive blend of power and patience at the plate was a big reason why he was this year’s top-ranked international prospect and the teen catcher is proving that he belongs.
He has hit five home runs in his last six games and is batting .333 over his last eight for the Storm. Through 105 at-bats, Salas sports a .855 OPS.