At times, the smallest dogs bark the loudest. That being the case, it’s almost fitting that Ethan Salas’ first Triple-A home run for the El Paso Chihuahuas squeaked over the fence in the right-field corner. Not gargantuan yet still mighty, its significance extends well beyond its distance.
With the long ball, Salas drove in three runs, powering El Paso to an 8-6 win over Reno at Greater Nevada Field.
Salas started his night with a double in the second inning. He came to the plate again in the third, and in what was his 25th Triple-A at-bat, he sent a 1-2 pitch into the bullpen off Ashton Izzi, the D-backs’ No. 11 prospect. But Salas, of course, has top prospect credentials of his own. Ranked No. 1 in the Padres organization, the catcher upped his Triple-A average to .333 by game’s end.
The proud owner of a 70-grade fielding tool, Salas has always been highly regarded as a catching prospect. Just 16 years old at the start of his first pro season, he was already considered to be advanced beyond his years in game planning, blocking and receiving.
At the plate, things have been a little more uneven, particularly following promotions. In 2025, he had begun to settle in at Double-A but a stress reaction in his back ended his season.
COMPLETE PADRES PROSPECT COVERAGE
Back at San Antonio to open this year, he batted .286 across 72 games before his promotion on July 29. Currently MLB’s No. 30 prospect, Salas took the level change in stride, posting a three-hit game in his El Paso debut. Friday’s contest was already his third multihit performance in his seven-game stint.
Still just 20 years old, Salas -- the youngest everyday regular at Triple-A -- has ample time to prove that his success at the plate is sustainable. And now he's doing so just a call away from the big leagues.