Home » Sports » MLB » San Diego Padres

The future is now for Salas — what does that mean for Padres?

SAN DIEGO -- The Padres always envisioned a quick progression to the big leagues for Ethan Salas. And they were right -- even if they didn’t envision the progression looking like this. From his signing in 2023 as the sport’s…

MLB Official

Published: Tuesday, 20 October 2026 at 2:20 PM

Key Things to Know

Padres general manager A.J. Preller indicated Ethan Salas will compete for a major league catching role next season.
Salas debuted in September, hitting .256 with a .737 OPS over 16 games and appearing in three postseason contests.
He became the youngest major league catcher since Ivan Rodriguez and the youngest to start a postseason game.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Top prospect Ethan Salas made an immediate impact for the San Diego Padres after his September promotion, sparking roster decisions behind the plate. General manager A.J. Preller stated that Salas will compete for catching duties next season alongside Luis Campusano and Freddy Fermin without any guaranteed roles.

Salas batted .256 with a .737 OPS across 16 regular-season games and caught three postseason matchups after hitting .296 in the minors. Both Campusano and Fermin are arbitration-eligible, providing San Diego with depth that could see the team utilize a three-catcher system or explore trade options.

Read the full article on MLB Official

The future is now for Salas — what does that mean for Padres?

More San Diego Padres News

Never Miss a Sports Update