The San Diego Padres have a teenage prospect that is rapidly rising up their farm system and creating a wild amount of buzz about his potential.
The San Diego Padres are right at the top of the list when it comes to the biggest disappointments in MLB 2023. Right alongside the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, and New York Yankees. All four teams were viewed as title contenders in April and the quartet is out of the postseason chase in August.
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For the Padres, this could be one of the most frustrating seasons in team history considering their aspirations entering the season and the unusual amount of money they have invested in the team. With their playoff hopes miniscule it has opened the door to other facets of the organization getting some attention. And one player generating a great deal of notice is 17-year-old prospect, Ethan Salas.
Earlier this year, the Venezuelan made his professional debut with the Padres Single-A Lake Elsinore Storm and was a part of MLB history when he was the first player to be born in 2006 to reach the professional level. After just a few months, he was promoted to the organization’s High-A where he slashed .200/.243/.229 and knocked in seven hits and three RBIs.
San Diego Padres surprisingly promote 17-year-old prospect to Double-A affiliate
That strong showing for the youngest player to be promoted to the Midwest League ever led to another shocking development on Sunday when The Athletic was the first to report that Ethan Salas is now headed to the San Diego Padres Double-A San Antonio team.
“The Padres believe he is the sport’s most advanced teenage catching prospect in years, if not decades,” The Athletic’s report claimed. “A Double-A debut in his first professional season ostensibly puts Salas on track to catch a major-league game before his 19th birthday — something no one has done since Brian Milner in 1978.”
The organization signed the catcher to a $5.6 million contract in January. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound youngster was named the California League’s Player of the Month in July and his brother Jose is currently a prospect in the Minnesota Twins farm system.
Salas is ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Padres system, and fifth overall in the entire league on MLB.com prospects rankings.