{"id":123094,"date":"2026-05-29T23:45:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T03:45:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=123094"},"modified":"2026-05-30T01:53:55","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T05:53:55","slug":"ethan-salas-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/05\/29\/ethan-salas-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Predicting the Future for Ethan Salas"},"content":{"rendered":"
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MLB Pipeline\u2019s Top 100 Prospect List<\/a> rates the projected future value of the top prospects in the game. San Diego Padres draftee Ethan Salas<\/a> 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\u2019 early career has certainly had highs and lows. This has created plenty of questions around his future.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Ethan Salas\u2019 First Steps in Pro Ball<\/span><\/h2>\n
At just 16, Salas signed as one of the top international free agents<\/a> 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\u2019 first season of pro ball also saw him appear in games at three different levels in the Padres\u2019 system. It looked like there was a ton to look forward to in his future.<\/span><\/div>\n
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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 \u00a0extra-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.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Salas Struggles<\/span><\/h2>\n
The Padres took a very aggressive approach to Salas\u2019 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. <\/span><\/div>\n
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The 2024 season increased the whispers of concern around Salas\u2019 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\u2019 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.<\/span><\/div>\n
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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.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Prospect Resurgence<\/span><\/h2>\n
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\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/div>\n
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“Forget about it!” \ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n

MLB’s No. 52 prospect Ethan Salas (@Padres<\/a>) demolishes his seventh long ball of the season for the Double-A @MissionsMiLB<\/a>: pic.twitter.com\/KDOwbB15Hu<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 27, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n