Ethan Salas Finds His Groove Again

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – As fans trickled into Salt River Fields before an Arizona Fall League game between Scottsdale and Peoria on Friday, Ethan Salas stood ten feet away from home plate for a chat with a reporter.

In a few years, the Padres’ uber-prospect could be widely-known for his play behind that dish, but in the interim, Salas knows there is work to be done.

The 18-year-old has been aggressively promoted by San Diego since signing for $5.6 million in 2023, and hit a speed bump in 2024. 

Salas batted just .208 with an OPS of .599 in 111 games with the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps this season, and it admittedly took a toll.

“I knew there was going to be failure, but it’s different talking about it and then actually going through it,” Salas said. “A lot of people from the outside are just like, ‘Oh, he’s struggling,’ but it’s a lot (harder) on the inside. But everyone goes through their highs and lows, so it’s maintaining and figuring out how I can be the same guy every day, if I’m doing good or bad.”

Lately, there has been much more good than bad.

Salas has turned heads in the Fall League – a proving ground for some of the best minor league prospects in baseball – by hitting .333 with a homer, five doubles, 10 RBIs and a .954 OPS in 36 plate appearances for the Peoria Javelinas.

“(I feel) really good,” Salas said. “I’m seeing the ball well. Obviously there are a lot of top guys here and it’s a challenge, but I’m always up for the challenge.”

Ethan Salas rips his 3rd double of the Arizona Fall League!@Padres | @MLBazFallLeague pic.twitter.com/ic2PnSbZj1

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) October 14, 2024

Salas has been such a phenom since a young age that struggles had been pretty foreign to him until this year. And while it was tough going through that type of season, he is thankful for it.

“It had to happen,” Salas said. “I had to go through that so I could grow and nail down all the stuff I’m missing in my game.”

Salas said numerous voices helped him through those growing pains as he worked at staying even-keeled through the struggles.

“I wasn’t always like that,” Salas said. “I had a lot of people help me, talk to me. A lot of the people in the org were there for me. My dad. My family. My brothers, they know how it is. It’s just talking to them and then putting my head down and getting to work. That’s what’s going to change everything.”

Salas is hoping the lows are a thing of the past, and he is again reminding people of his prodigious talents at the Fall League – the cannon arm, the quick bat, the receiving ability as a young catcher.

While Salas is one of the youngest players in the Fall League, he doesn’t get caught up in the age or the prospect ranking of opponents.

“It’s just another baseball game,” Salas said. “Whoever is on the field, it doesn’t come down to the names on the field. It’s who’s in the box and who’s on the mound. Let’s go compete.”

Major League Baseball ranks Salas as the No. 1 prospect in the Padres’ organization and No. 19 overall. He is listed with an estimated big league arrival of 2026, and if a call-up happens before June 1 of that season, Salas would become the first catcher since Pudge Rodriguez to make the majors as a teenager.

“That would be cool; that would be ideal,” Salas said. “But it’s just going out to play and not skipping any steps along the road. I think, yeah, it would be cool to do everything really young and rush everything, but when I’m ready, they’ll know I’m ready to go. I’d prefer that than rushing it with a lot of holes in my game. If I’m good enough, I’ll be where I’m supposed to be, so I’ll let baseball take care of what it needs to take care of.”

Today in 1991, Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez makes his MLB debut and becomes the youngest player to catch in a major league game that season at 19 years of age. pic.twitter.com/HHecwX61fD

— Texas Sports History (@TXSportsHistory) June 20, 2023

Salas has never met Rodriguez, the 14-time All-Star who retired when Salas was just five years old, but there is clear awareness and deference.

Salas quickly answered in the affirmative when asked if he was familiar with Rodriguez’s game.

“Oh, yeah,” Salas said. “I mean, sh–, he’s a legend.”

He would love to speak with Rodriguez one day to understand his quick journey to the majors.

“That would be a cool conversation, just to talk about everything he went through as a kid, since I’m going through it a little bit,” Salas said. “We have been taking the same steps, so it would be cool conversation, definitely.”

Unsurprisingly, Salas would also love to pattern his game after Rodriguez.

“I want to be well-rounded like he was,” Salas said. “Good thrower, good hitter, good catcher, good teammate, good everything. I definitely try to take that into my game.”

Rodriguez is one of the best catchers of all-time, and Salas will need good fortune and a lot of hard work to even enter that orbit. But the potential is there, and so is the determination.

Salas was excited to be invited to the Fall League, and not because it showed how much the Padres thought of his long-term potential.

“I just wanted to keep playing,” Salas said.

Salas is back in his groove now, as he has the 22nd-best OPS in the Fall League while playing the most challenging defensive position.

While Salas doesn’t think about the big leagues too often, he is satisfied with his career trajectory.

“I’m happy,” Salas said, “with the way I’m headed.”