SAN DIEGO — What a difference a year can make.
On October 2, 2025, Padres top propsect Ethan Salas was officially removed from the 2025 Arizona Fall League rosters, as he and the organization agreed he still wasn’t ready to return to action after suffering a lower-back stress reaction in early May. Now, 353 days after that announcement, the 20-year-old isn’t just back on the field; he’s beginning to fulfill the vision San Diego has long had for him.
Ethan Salas wasn’t in El Paso for long. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
“I’ve just been getting a lot closer to the guys ever since I got here. I’m just here with all my boys, and it’s really cool,” said Salas in the Petco Park clubhouse.
The route here for the 20-year-old has been anything but straight.
After bursting onto the scene in 2023, Salas struggled in his sophomore campaign at High-A Fort Wayne, posting a .285 wOBA and 76 wRC+ in 111. Rather than sending him back to the Midwest League to open 2025, the organization pushed him up to Double-A San Antonio. Just 10 games into the year, he’d be removed mid-game after suffering from what was later revealed to be a stress reaction.
The next few months for Salas involved rest, watching countless hours of film, and getting into the cage —sometimes not even to swing, but to track balls.
Of course, Salas was never alone during his rehab process. Along with consistent attention from the Padres medical staff in Arizona, several players made a point to check in on him.
“I always stayed in touch with him as much as I could,” said Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill. “I think the biggest help you can be is just to be someone who can be there to talk or text.”
Ethan Salas had plenty to celebrate in his 2026 season. (Photo: San Antonio Missions)
When Salas officially returned to the field in 2026 with a 115 wRC+ and .822 OPS between two minor league levels, the last high-profile prospect to debut with the Padres wasn’t surprised.
“I would check the box scores every day and see if he played or not,” Merrill said. “Sometimes I’d text him ‘see you soon’, or ‘you’re almost here,’ just to keep him going with that main goal to get him up here.”
“Jackson is always there for me,” Salas said. “We’ve known each other for a long time, and have had a great relationship over the years. He’s always kind of big-bro’d me and taken me under his wing. Now that we’re here together it’s pretty sick.”
Early Impact and Arrival in San Diego
While Salas’ familiarity with Merrill might be his strongest current connection in the Padres clubhouse, the 20-year-old has already made a strong impression in a locker room filled with current and former all-stars. He’s drawn continued high praise from starter Nick Pivetta for his work behind the dish.
Ethan Salas caught Joe Musgrove on his rehab start. (Photo: El Paso Chihuahuas.)
“It’s the position that he chose to excel at, and it’s expected of him; but yeah, it’s definitely a shock that he’s come out and he handles himself the way he does. He’s been a pleasure to work with and a pleasure to watch, and I’m grateful to be there with him,” said Pivetta after his Friday night start against the Marlins.
“I really wanted to prepare hard with [Pivetta] down in El Paso, and I think we did, and now I think we have that feel every time we go out.”
In truth, neither Salas’ defense nor ability to call a game and command a big league pitching staff has ever been in question. What some have wondered is whether the bat can hold up.
For those still on the fence heading into 2026, Salas emphatically answered that question during his time with San Antonio and El Paso as he posted a new career-high Max EV of 112.1 mph with Double-A San Antonio and sported a nutty 93.1% in-zone contact rate and 9.8% whiff rate during his time in Triple-A El Paso– all while being nearly seven years younger than his average competition.
Now, at the Major League level, the bat is clicking again.
Since logging his first MLB hit against the Giants on September 13, Salas has added a handful of other impressive offensive feats to his MLB resume. With his two-homer game against Colorado Tuesday, he became the youngest catcher since at least 1900 to log a multi-homer game.
“These guys are gonna find out that sometimes I am selective in the zone, and I’ll have to combat that and be more aggressive in the zone. I’m just going to stick to my plan and play to my strengths to swing at the right pitches,” Salas said.
Ethan Salas arrived at Petco Park on Friday. (Photo courtesy San Diego Padres)
Salas’ first home run ball currently resides in his locker. As for his first Major League hit, that ball has been sent back home to his parents. A key portion of Salas’ baseball story is rooted in family. His grandfather, father, and uncle all played professionally; meanwhile, his brothers Jose and Andrew are both in the minors. After nearly every game, Salas calls his brothers. That didn’t change after his two-homer day at Coors Field.
“We’re in a group chat with my brothers and a couple of other friends who I consider family. I gave them a call after the game.” Salas smiled.
However historic his first three hits were, his fourth career knock Saturday night at Petco Park eclipsed them. In the midst of a highly contested Wild Card race, Salas strolled to the dish for a pinch-hit appearance in the bottom of the 10th with the game-winning run 90 feet away.
For most 20-year-olds, the moment might have been too big. But Salas is already establishing that he’s not most big league rookies.
Down 0-2 to Josh Ekness, Salas used an elite 82.6 mph swing speed to send a 98.7 mph fastball back up the middle for his first career walk-off knock. In doing so, he shrank San Diego’s magic number to three.
“We want Ethan to play; there is no doubt about that,” said Padres manager Craig Stammen before Friday’s game. “You try and find the right matchups on the pitching staff and on the opposing pitching staff so that he can feel comfortable.”