When rosters expand on September 1, the Padres, per reports, are expected to bring up their arguable top prospect. That would be Ethan Salas, who’s had a terrific 2026 season across two levels after missing most of last year. Now, he has the chance to affect a playoff race.
A Look at Salas
Thanks to injury, the Padres didn’t see much from Ethan Salas in 2025. Salas only played 10 games last year, one year removed from what was a very difficult 2024 season. But the 20-year-old put up strong numbers between Double-A and Triple-A this year to earn a promotion.
Salas, arguably the top available international amateur free agent in 2023, went straight to full-season ball as a 16-year-old. It’s a move done very rarely; over the past 15 years, players like Julio Urias and former Padres prospect Leo De Vries are among the few who’ve done that as well. And he produced, as Salas slashed .248/.331/.421 (.752 OPS) across three levels.
Back in 2024, he played with Double-A San Antonio but hit a skid. Salas slashed .206/.288/.311 with just four home runs over 111 games. For a 17-year-old, you’d expect some skids. And he overcame that down stretch with good numbers with the Missions two years later. He cracked 20 extra-base hits (seven home runs) and a .778 OPS with San Antonio before moving up to Triple-A.
He then tore up Triple-A El Paso briefly before the move. Salas hit .326 (.949 OPS) with three home runs and 11 extra-base hits over 24 games with the Chihuahuas.
For those who’ve followed our Minor League content throughout the year, we’ve gone over just how good of a contact hitter Salas is. The 20-year-old routinely posted monthly Whiff% rates that were in the upper echelon of each league he played in. And from mid-July through the end of August, his Whiff% was among the 10 lowest in all of Triple-A.
Very quick bat and hands on Salas. While he is visibly strong, he profiles more, particularly right now, as the kind of hitter who will show more gap power than anything else. Short swing, will work all fields, and put the ball in play.
Zoning in more during his time in Triple-A, opposing pitchers simply could not beat him inside the zone. Yes, he was obviously much easier to get to when he expanded out of the zone. But his in-zone swing rates were very low. And in terms of pitchers down in the zone, his Whiff% was, quite literally, non-existent.
Salas was willing to go outside of the zone from time to time during his brief stay with the Chihuahuas. However, it wasn’t egregious by any stretch of the imagination.
Lastly, Salas was able to square up some baseballs in his short sample size with Triple-A El Paso, including an 8% Barrel% on four-seamers and 25% Barrel% on changeups. But again, he didn’t see too much action at that level.
Behind the plate, Salas allowed 13 passed balls this season between Double-A and Triple-A. He did gun down runners with regularity, with a CS% of 27%.
As of August 31, Ethan Salas was not on the Padres’ 40-man roster.
Analysis
Between the hit tool and promise behind the dish, Salas has the chance to be a very special player. Additionally, he also has the chance to be the long-term starting catcher, as the club hasn’t had much stability at that position. Just over the past few years, the likes of Austin Nola, Kyle Higashioka, and others have been among the regular catchers in San Diego.
For 2026, the Padres have rotated between Freddy Fermin, acquired at the deadline last year, and Luis Campusano. Fermin saw more action, as he played in 84 games as of August 31. However, he slashed .196/.267/.306 this season. He’s more known as a stable presence at the plate but the offensive results haven’t been there. Campusano, with an .852 OPS, played in 53 games.
With Salas, the Padres hope that they have their catcher of the future. But for the rest of 2026, he’ll need to be a little more than just a prospect, provided he sees regular playing time.
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