Ethan Salas, a promising prospect in the world of Major League Baseball, has seen a staggering drop of 53 positions on Keith Law’s latest Top 100 MLB prospects list for 2026, recently published by The Athletic. At just 19 years old, this talented catcher from Venezuela is now the only player from the San Diego Padres organization to be featured on this list, a clear indication of the current state of the Padres' farm system, which is noticeably lacking in depth. Last year, Salas was ranked 17th, but an unfortunate back injury led him to miss a significant portion of the 2025 season. Law highlighted this injury and the subsequent limited exposure as key reasons for Salas's decline, though he remains optimistic about the player's future.
Salas made headlines when he signed with the Padres as the top international free agent in 2023, and there were high hopes for him to become the next standout catcher, especially given his young age (16) and impressive defensive skills. While his defensive abilities have never been questioned, there are concerns that his value may diminish with the upcoming introduction of the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) in 2026. The real worry, however, lies in his offensive performance.
In 2023, Salas played across three levels of professional baseball, including the Single-A Lake Elsinore Storm, High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps, and Double-A San Antonio Missions, accumulating a total of 290 plate appearances over 66 games. His rapid advancement through the minor leagues suggested that the Padres wanted to test his ability to compete at higher levels. He wrapped up the season with a combined batting line of .248/.331/.421, recording 63 hits, which included 13 doubles, two triples, and nine home runs. However, since then, his offensive output has noticeably declined.
During the 2024 season, Salas spent time at High-A Fort Wayne, where he had 469 plate appearances over 111 games, finishing with a disappointing batting average of .206, on-base percentage of .288, and slugging percentage of .311. This resulted in 85 hits, featuring 27 doubles, two triples, and four home runs. There was hope that with more time at this lower level, Salas would find his footing and develop the offensive consistency needed to advance through the minors more effectively.
Despite struggling offensively in High-A, Salas began the 2025 season with the Double-A affiliate in San Antonio. Unfortunately, his season was cut short after only ten games and 41 plate appearances due to a stress reaction in his lower back, announced in May. Initially projected to miss a couple of months, Salas did not return for the remainder of the season, concluding it with a disappointing slash line of .188/.325/.219, tallying just six hits, one double, and no home runs prior to his injury.
Given Salas’s lackluster performance, it's understandable that his ranking as a prospect has taken such a hit. The good news is that he is expected to be ready for Spring Training, and if he can manage a healthy season, it could significantly help him regain his standing in the eyes of scouts and fans alike. Padres president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller is undoubtedly hoping for this turnaround. Should the evaluations indicate that Salas isn't on track to fulfill his original potential, a rebound season could make him a valuable trade asset, potentially aiding the Padres' major league roster improvement in the latter half of 2026 or into 2027.
Although he remains a teenager, many Padres fans would be disheartened to see Preller and the organization part ways with such a once-coveted prospect too early. However, it seems that Salas is no longer viewed as the untouchable gem destined for greatness that he once was. In the end, he might just become another name on the list of prospects who were traded away in pursuit of immediate team needs.
