Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55

The top player in the class is one of the best catching prospects in recent history. His strong skills on the field are matched by his notable family ties, as his grandfather, father and uncle all played professionally. He is the younger brother of Twins prospect Jose Salas, and he could end up being the best player in the family.

The athletic Salas has a good feel for the strike zone and shows the ability to hit the ball to all fields. He shows good raw power, and it is expected to increase as he develops. He has a nice loose swing and shows the ability to hit home runs in batting practice and games. On defense, he shows plus potential because of his soft hands, blocking ability and receiving skills. He shows good throwing mechanics and a strong arm. He is already exhibiting leadership skills and runs well for a catcher.

He is trained by his father, Jose Salas Sr. and Cesar Suarez of CJ Baseball Academy. The Padres are among the teams who have shown strong interest. Suarez is a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 45 | Arm: 60 | Field: 65 | Overall: 55

Considered the clear No. 1 international prospect in the 2023 class, Salas signed with the Padres on Jan. 15 for $5.6 million of the organization’s $5,825,500 base signing pool. San Diego believed the Venezuela native – and brother of Twins prospect Jose Salas – to be extremely advanced and backed that up by skipping him over both complex leagues and starting him at Single-A Lake Elsinore in late May, a few days short of his 17th birthday. Salas hit .267/.350/.487 with nine homers in 48 games with the Storm and was given quick second-half promotions to High-A Fort Wayne and Double-A San Antonio (the latter to help the club’s postseason push) before a right knee sprain ended his season early in September.

Salas has taken a step back offensively in his return to Fort Wayne in 2024, leaving much of the industry scratching their heads at who he could still be. On one hand, he's been one of only two 18-year-old qualifiers at the High-A level (Sebastian Walcott being the other), and he hasn't struck out as much as one might expect for a player so young at that level. On the other, he's elevated the ball perhaps too much on contact, leading to infield popouts and catchable flyballs in the outfield that have dulled his BABIP and overall offensive profile. The quality of contact could improve with more physical maturity.

What has made an already aggressive San Diego front office ready to push Salas this hard in the first place was his defense behind the plate. He draws strong reviews for his blocking, receiving, throwing and communication skills, including from Major Leaguers who worked with him early in 2023. Salas still has an immense ceiling as a multi-tooled backstop, but he might be on more of a traditional development track than it seemed like he'd take at the end of his first season.

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 45 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 65

The Salas family has already been through the international signing process when Jose (now a Twins prospect) signed with the Marlins for $2.8 million in July 2019. Nearly four years later, younger brother Ethan, who was also born in Florida before moving to Venezuela, had his chance to join the pro ranks and did so with even more fanfare. Ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 international prospect for 2023, Salas signed with the Padres for $5.6 million in January, taking nearly all of the organization’s $5,825,500 base signing pool.

Despite the heavy investment, Padres officials routinely come back saying they believe it was worth going almost all-in on the 16-year-old, who could be a rare five-tool catcher. Salas's smooth left-handed swing helps him make solid contact to all fields and he's already shown above-average power during his move stateside after showcasing some of that pop at Petco Park in preseason BP sessions.

The Padres had Salas work with Major Leaguers -- including Yu Darvish -- in early bullpens because his receiving, blocking, hands, communication skills and overall movement behind the plate are already so advanced. His ability to pop out of the crouch and utilize impressive arm strength should also help him limit the running game. Salas also runs well for a catcher, and even if he slows as he ages, the rest of his game is so well-rounded that he could be the face of the next catching generation. He's already proven himself at an aggressive assignment to Single-A Lake Elsinore and was even pushed to High-A Fort Wayne as a 17-year-old in August.

Awards

Futures Game Selection

Year	Team
2024

MiLB.com Organization All-Star

Year	Team
2023

MiLB Awards Debut of the Year

Year	Team
2023

CAL Top MLB Prospect

Year	Team
2023

CAL Player of the Month

Month	Team
07/2023

CAL Player of the Week

Week	Team
07/30/2023
07/09/2023

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	07/14/2024	National League Futures activated C Ethan Salas.
	03/31/2024	C Ethan Salas assigned to Fort Wayne TinCaps from San Antonio Missions.
	03/07/2024	San Diego Padres Prospects activated C Ethan Salas.
	01/26/2024	San Diego Padres invited non-roster C Ethan Salas to spring training.
	01/26/2024	San Diego Padres invited non-roster C Ethan Salas to spring training.
	09/28/2023	San Antonio Missions activated C Ethan Salas from the 7-day injured list.
	09/06/2023	San Antonio Missions placed C Ethan Salas on the 7-day injured list.
	08/22/2023	C Ethan Salas assigned to San Antonio Missions from Fort Wayne TinCaps.
	08/22/2023	San Antonio Missions activated C Ethan Salas.
	08/08/2023	C Ethan Salas assigned to Fort Wayne TinCaps from Lake Elsinore Storm.
	05/30/2023	C Ethan Salas assigned to Lake Elsinore Storm from DSL Padres Brown.
	03/11/2023	C Ethan Salas and assigned to San Diego Padres.
	02/04/2023	C Ethan Salas assigned to DSL Padres.
	01/15/2023	San Diego Padres signed free agent C Ethan Salas to a minor league contract.
	10/31/2022	C Ethan Salas assigned to Aguilas del Zulia.
	10/31/2022	C Ethan Salas and assigned to Aguilas del Zulia.