MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospect List rates the projected future value of the top prospects in the game. San Diego Padres draftee Ethan Salas has been ranked as high as eighth on the list. However, by the end of last season, Salas fell off the list. Thanks to a hot start in 2026, though, he is back on the list and up to number 52. Salas’ early career has certainly had highs and lows. This has created plenty of questions around his future.
Ethan Salas’ First Steps in Pro Ball
At just 16, Salas signed as one of the top international free agents in 2023. He was a catcher with a ton of future upside both behind and at the plate. This future upside allowed the Venezuelan to head straight to full-season ball in 2023 as just a 16-year-old. Salas’ first season of pro ball also saw him appear in games at three different levels in the Padres’ system. It looked like there was a ton to look forward to in his future.
Salas performed well in his first taste of pro ball. In 48 games as a minor, he outplayed many of his peers at Single-A. He hit .267 with 22 extra-base hits in fewer than 50 games. This performance got him called up to High-A and then Double-A for nine games at both levels. This is when the weaknesses started to show. During these 18 games, he hit only .190 with two extra-base hits and 18 strikeouts. This performance was just a precursor to his minor league future in his next two seasons.
Salas Struggles
The Padres took a very aggressive approach to Salas’ future development. First, Salas was sent to full-season ball at just 16. Then, San Diego wanted to see if he could handle higher levels and promoted him prematurely for the last 18 games of the 2023 season. During this last stretch, he hit .190 and averaged one strikeout a game. In an effort to put Salas in the best place to develop in the future, he was sent back down to High-A Fort Wayne in 2024.
The 2024 season increased the whispers of concern around Salas’ future. In his first full season, it was a struggle. Salas hit .206 with an OPS less than .600. There was still hope for Salas’ future in 2024. Salas hit nearly 30 doubles, leading scouts to believe more power could develop with more physical maturity. Additionally, his strikeout rate went down while his walk rate remained consistent from the previous season. He even added 10 more steals. Another bright spot for Salas was solid play in the Arizona Fall League. The underlying numbers said that Salas could still have a very bright career ahead.
The injury bug bit Salas in 2025. Upon his return to Double-A, nearly a year and a half from his first visit, Salas suffered a stress reaction in his back. This injury limited Salas to only 11 games in the 2025 season. Persistent back injuries often affect a player’s future.
Prospect Resurgence
Salas is taking the next step in his development as a future big leaguer. The Padres sent him back to Double-A for the second straight season. This time around, Salas has dominated. He’s hitting over .300, and he has only two home runs, off his career high in just 39 games. His strikeout rate is down from a career rate, and already has one of his season highs in steals.
“Forget about it!” 👀
MLB’s No. 52 prospect Ethan Salas (@Padres) demolishes his seventh long ball of the season for the Double-A @MissionsMiLB: pic.twitter.com/KDOwbB15Hu
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 27, 2026
What the Future Could Hold
There are three likely ways the future can turn out for Salas. He can be another teen prospect who flamed out, he can be an average to below-average major leaguer, or he can be a star. Those are obviously the broadest depictions of a future career. There have been signs of all three of these outcomes during his early career. He is absolutely raking right now in his third trip to Double-A. However, he struggled for two seasons once he moved up to higher levels.
For Padres fans, Salas and Leo De Vries were supposed to be the future. However, the Padres shipped De Vries at the 2025 trade deadline, and Salas has struggled. The aggressive development approach by the Padres did Salas no favors. However, Ethan looks like he could be the better brother of the Salas baseball family tree, as his younger brother is currently in the Miami Marlins system. Maybe with a brother in a similar situation, the future can be bountiful for both Venezuelan prospects.
The Future Floor
The Padres are no strangers to top prospect catchers. The first came in Austin Hedges for San Diego. Now, Hedges had more power as a prospect than Salas now has, but their floors are eerily similar. Salas is a stud behind the plate. Even as a teenager, he was regarded for his defensive prowess. He is advanced when it comes to receiving, blocking, and pitch calling. Salas has even made efforts to improve his throwing ability and now profiles to have an above-average arm to go with plus-plus defense. Even if the bat never comes along, he has a future as a defense-first backup catcher.
“Getting more comfortable every year… just growing as a player on both sides of the ball.”@Padres No. 2 prospect Ethan Salas highlights his defense behind the plate and what he’s worked on this offseason.#MLBTonight | @jimcallisMLB | @MLBPipeline pic.twitter.com/u4PwNavHPT
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 3, 2025
The Ceiling
Salas’ future really falls on the bat. This season has been what a lot of scouts had hoped for Salas. He is tapping into the power more and has shown elite bat-to-ball skills as well. This, along with a good approach at the plate, could cement his future as the backstop for a long time in San Diego. These advancements were all made by simplifying in the box. He’s standing up more and is more relaxed at the plate. He also made a major swing adjustment to stay on plane longer to drive the ball instead of hitting lazy fly balls.
Overall, Ethan Salas is still not an imposing figure. He comes in at 6’1 and 185 pounds. Obviously, he’s a teenager and still has a future to physically develop. If more muscle is added, he could increase his power. However, the idea of simplifying his swing and not lifting the ball as much could lead to more gap-to-gap power. Truly, Salas will likely have a future as a glove-first catcher who will hit for average power and maybe an average bat. He is finally at a level that makes sense for his age and development, and it should be a place where he succeeds. The real test will be when he makes the future jump to Triple-A later this season.
Main Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
