Ethan Salas Is Giving the Padres Plenty to Think About Ahead of September

It’s extremely rare to see 20-year-olds in the major leagues. But the San Diego Padres’ top prospect, catcher Ethan Salas, has a chance to accomplish that feat in 2026.

After a tough 2024 campaign at High-A Fort Wayne and a 2025 season that lasted all of 10 games due to a back injury, Salas has bounced back in a major way this year. And after putting together a strong stretch at Double-A San Antonio in mid-to-late July, the Padres decided it was time to give their top prospect a promotion to Triple-A. So far, a kid who can’t even buy a beer yet has looked like a man amongst boys.

Across 19 games with El Paso, Salas is slashing .319/.393/.556 good for an outstanding 123 wRC+. He’s also collected 10 extra-base hits during that span, while walking 10 times compared to just eight strikeouts. Obviously, Salas isn’t going to sustain those numbers over an extended period of time; there will inevitably be stretches where he looks like a young player still figuring things out. But that doesn’t change how impressive this stretch has been.

The fact of the matter is it’s not normal for a player this young to be doing the things Salas is doing at the highest level of the minor leagues. And when you combine his production with some of the underlying numbers, it becomes even easier to understand why the Padres have been so high on him for so long.

Salas’ average exit velocity at Triple-A is above 90 MPH, with 25 of the first 55 balls he put in play coming off his bat at 95 MPH or harder. That’s a pretty impressive combination of quality contact and production for a player who is still just 20, and that doesn’t even mention what he can do behind the plate. He has a 70-grade fielding tool and a 60-grade arm, giving him the defensive ability to potentially be an impact catcher at the major-league level. This isn’t simply a prospect who is raking at Triple-A and hoping his bat can carry him to San Diego. This dude can play, and with September quickly closing in, Salas might be getting hot at exactly the right time.

Come September 1, teams can expand their active rosters from 26 players to 28. One of those spots will likely go to another pitcher, but the other one would have to be a position player. With as hot of a bat as Salas is swinging right now, it’s at least possible he gets an opportunity as the Padres look to make a run to the postseason. Of course, a couple of things would have to happen first.

For one, Salas would need to be added to the 40-man roster, and that’s where the biggest issue lies. Since he doesn’t have to be added to the 40-man roster until after next season, the Padres might not want to make that move right now. They would have to remove someone else from the roster, barring someone landing on the 60-day injured list, just to create room for him. That’s a decision San Diego would have to weigh carefully.

The uncertainty surrounding what the 2027 season will look like could also play a role. With the Major League Baseball Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire in December, a new agreement will have to be reached before the 2027 season can begin. Given the uncertainty surrounding what spending will or won’t look like under a new agreement, there’s at least a possibility that the season could be delayed. And in a worst-case scenario, it could potentially not happen at all. If the Padres call Salas up and the 2027 season gets delayed, there’s a chance he could lose out on valuable development time while owners and players work toward a new agreement. If he remains in the minors, that particular issue wouldn’t exist.

There’s also the fact that the Padres already have two other catchers playing well in San Diego right now in Luis Campusano and Freddy Fermin. Campusano missed a good amount of time with a fractured toe, while Fermin has struggled offensively for most of the season. But both are currently healthy, and both are swinging the bat well. Campusano has posted an .790 OPS since the All-Star break, while Fermin is up to a 122 wRC+ in August. Fermin is also a very strong defensive catcher, just like Salas, and if both veterans continue hitting the ball well, there might simply not be enough room for the 19-year-old.

There is a legitimate argument for letting Salas continue developing in the minor leagues, especially when you consider how much time he missed last season and the fact that he doesn’t need to be added to the 40-man roster yet. The Padres have no reason to rush one of the most important prospects in their organization. At the same time, opportunities like this don’t come around very often.

It may be a bit of a long shot, but there’s a world where we see a 20-year-old phenom make his Padres debut this season.

Interested in learning more about the San Diego Padres' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!