Padres' Top Prospect Ethan Salas Could Soon Be Knocking on the Door of the Majors

The San Diego Padres' No. 1 prospect, catcher Ethan Salas, is moving one step closer to the big leagues.

Salas, MLB Pipeline's No. 30 overall prospect for 2026, has been called up to the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, the team announced on Wednesday. With this promotion, the 20-year-old is set to become the youngest player in Triple-A right now, according to MLB Pipeline.

The Padres gave Salas a $5.6 million bonus when he signed with the franchise as an international free agent in 2023. The young prospect immediately burst onto the scene in his first season in the minors, including making his debut for the Double-A San Antonio Missions as a 17-year-old. While the lefty-swinging catcher has dealt with injuries over the last couple of years, he's putting up some of his best offensive numbers yet in 2026.

Will 2026 end up being Ethan Salas' best season in the minors?

Mar 26, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Ethan Salas (88) looks on during the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

So far this season, Salas has a .286 batting average, a .361 on-base percentage, and a .778 OPS with seven home runs, 37 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases in 72 Double-A games. While there's still a lot of baseball left to be played this year, that .286 batting average would be by far the best of the young catcher's career. In 2023, he hit .248 with nine homers in 66 games across three minor league levels. Those are two career-high marks that the top prospect could surpass by the end of 2026.

Even beyond his success at the plate this year, though, San Diego is likely most pleased with the fact that Salas has been able to remain on the field for the majority of this season. The 20-year-old did have a brief stint on the injured list in June due to an oblique injury. But last year, he was limited to just 10 games for the whole season after dealing with a back injury.

The Padres' front office will likely be busy over the next few days trying to decide what the franchise should do ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. There have been plenty of rumors surrounding All-Star closer Mason Miller, but San Diego is 55-53 after Wednesday's win, within striking distance of a National League Wild Card spot.

For now, though, many Padres fans will undoubtedly be looking forward to seeing Salas make his Triple-A debut.

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