With MLB rosters expanding on September 1, the San Diego Padres decided to call up top prospect Ethan Salas.
Salas, the 20-year-old catcher, is the top prospect in the Padres organization and the No. 23 in all of baseball. With him being promoted, he is set to make history whenever he appears in a game as a catcher.
Salas will become the youngest catcher to play in an MLB game since 1991, when Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez accomplished the feat.
Answer's yes. With rosters set to expand tomorrow, the Padres are calling up top prospect Ethan Salas.
— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) September 1, 2026
If he gets into a game at catcher, he'd be the youngest catcher to appear in a big league game since Pudge Rodríguez in 1991. https://t.co/XIWlmSCF16
The Padres signed Salas in 2023 as a 16-year-old, and the team spent $5.6 million in international bonus money.
Even at 16 years old, Salas was already making headlines.
This season, Salas has played a total of 96 games between Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A El Paso, hitting a combined .296 with an .822 OPS, 19 doubles, 2 triples and 10 home runs.
Ethan Salas (Andrew_FBB No.11 ranked prospect) is getting the call!
— Andrew DeCeglie (@Andrew_FBB) September 1, 2026
In MiLB:
.296 / 10 HR / 61 RBI / 17 SB
14.3 K% and 11.6 BB%
I was preaching patience on Salas and he proved me right in a big way in 2026…Extremely advanced for a 20 year old! pic.twitter.com/eN5YkItjyV
The Padres also have Freddy Fermin and Luis Campusano as catchers, but the need for a left-handed bat and the additional roster space made this an easy choice for San Diego.
