Report: No. 23 Prospect in Baseball, Ethan Salas, Gets the Call

It's official. The San Diego Padres' No. 1 prospect, Ethan Salas , has been called up to the big leagues, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune . He will join the team in Cincinnati for the last two games of their series against the Reds before returning to Petco Park with the club for the upcoming homestand. It's a massive development for the Friars with the roster expanding from 26 to 28 players on September 1.

Yet it's not all that surprising. Plenty of analysts around the league, including this writer, believed that Salas would be called up once the rosters expanded in the stretch run. There's no downside to it, and it gives the young catcher an opportunity to get his feet wet in the big leagues. It's a fantastic move for San Diego, and it offers the 20-year-old prospect time to develop versus big-league pitching.

Report: Ethan Salas To Be Called Up by Padres

Even if the rosters weren't expanding, Salas would still have earned a spot on the roster. In 72 games in Double-A, Salas hit .286/.361/.417 with 108 total bases. He hit seven homers and swiped 14 bags in that time, showcasing some ridiculous power/speed combination despite the fact that Salas is a catcher.

Since being called up to the El Paso Chihuahuas (the Padres' Triple-A affiliate), Salas has slashed a ridiculous .326/.410/.539 with a .949 OPS and three home runs. Those numbers are certainly somewhat inflated by the fact that Salas plays in the Pacific Coast League. The PCL is well-known for its hitter-friendly environs, but Salas has still managed to play above even those loftier standards.

This is massive news for San Diego. Salas has been one of their most tantalizing prospects for years. Despite regressing due to injuries in 2025, he's stormed back into the conversation, becoming the No. 23 prospect in all of baseball. Salas represents a bright future for a Padres core that includes superstar veterans and incredibly talented young players alike.

At the end of the day, Salas isn't playing for a spot on the postseason roster. It would be awesome if he rakes during his time at the big-league level, but that likely wouldn't change much. Salas is a young player with his whole future ahead of him. Calling him up now won't jeopardize that, but it could if the Friars don't handle it correctly. They need to give Salas time to develop without the pressure of performing right away. Too many great prospects have flamed out quickly due to that kind of stress. Hopefully, Salas won't.

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