Ethan Salas probably won't be in El Paso long. The top prospect in the San Diego Padres organization, a scion of a baseball family, hasn't stayed anywhere too long as part of a meteoric rise to the point the 20-year-old catcher is now the youngest player in all of Triple-A. This comes after missing much of 2025 with a back injury, about the only snag in his career since he signed for a record $5.6 million bonus in February 2023 as a 16-year-old. More: El Paso Chihuahuas schedule More: El Paso Chihuahuas set for 2026 home opener; top players, promotions
Ethan Salas: ‘Try to enjoy every single day’ The Chihuahuas are hosting Salt Lake City through the weekend in a six-game series, and part of what got him to the El Paso Chihuahuas so quickly is a maturity and that was on display when asked how he considers a potential summer call-up to the Padres. "I'm trying to try to be where my feet are every single day," Salas said Tuesday afternoon from the dugout at Southwest University Park. "I'm trying to let that take care of itself when, when the time's ready I'll be up there. Until then I'll just try to enjoy every single day I have here and the development that I need to take care of. More: Chihuahuas snap losing streak, returning home to host Salt Lake City "I'm try to enjoy the everyday life down here right now, and get better every single day. ... The ballpark is definitely the nicest ballpark I've been to in my playing career. The fans, it's been sick. It's been pretty cool. I've had nothing but love, it's been nice." This bounceback year has been nice for Salas after dealing with the only substantial setback of his career in 2025 with the back injury. Before that he made his Double-A debut in San Antonio as a 17-year-old in 2023 when the Padres were giving him a taste of the high minors, then was back there in 2025 (he spent 2024 in high-A ball in Midland). Ethan Salas having big season after injury He only played 10 games in 2025, but succeeded in getting healthy to set himself up for this year. He hit .286 before his call up to El Paso and has hit .325 here in 10 games. Salas is known for his bat and those aren't numbers that keep a catcher in the minors for long. More: El Paso Chihuahuas opening day is like Christmas for baseball fans
"I've been trying to get back healthy on the field," Salas said of his 2026. "After last season with the injury, I'm trying to get my swing back to a spot where I'm feeling healthy. Thank God everything is going well this year. I'm trying to go out, have fun, compete at my best lever every single day and let the rest take care of itself. "It's refreshing to be back on the field every single day. I have a little different mindset, a little different perspective. Every single day, I come in the field, now I'm healthy being able to do what I love." A scion of a baseball dynasty Baseball has been the love of his life, almost since birth in Kissimmee, Florida. He also grew up in the Dominican Republic and played a game in the Venezuelan winter league in 2022 to make him an international player, where he was considered the top prospect of the 2023 class. That earned him that huge contract. His father Jose Antonio Salas played minor league baseball in the Atlanta Braves organization, and his uncle and grandfather were also pro baseball players in American minor league baseball. His brother José plays in the Minnesota Twins organization (he's 23 with high A Cedar Rapids) and his brother Andrew plays for the Miami Marlins organization (he's an 18-year-old in rookie ball). "It's awesome, man, it runs through my blood," Ethan Salas said. "I can't go a day without baseball, without seeing a baseball or talking about baseball in my life. It's pretty cool. "I'm super blessed to have two other brothers who do the same thing with me. We discuss the challenges of everyday life as a professional baseball player and the struggles and the successes. I'm so be grateful to be a part of the family that just bleeds baseball. "I try to talk to them every day. Obviously, the time zones and the different schedules, they kind of clash sometimes, but I try to call them as much as possible." He says the family ties are what has made his career.
"I would say my family, the amount of time my mom and dad have put into me through this journey," Salas said. "I attribute pretty much everything to them: My mom and my dad, my grandparents as well, and they've done so much leading up to this point." Ethan Salas learning his teammates As for now, he's working to learn a new pitching staff, which at the moment includes Padres regular Joe Morgan, who is on a rehab assignment. "I'm adjusting to the new team, getting to know everyone, trying to do my best to build relationships with some of the pitchers and getting to know everyone on a better level," Salas said. "Other than that, it's the same game everywhere you go. There's a little more experience, a little less mess ups during the game. "I spent a lot of time with these guys in spring training, now I'm around them in a real season setting. I'm getting to see how everyone goes about their season. That, and trying to pick up little things along the way, little things I can add to my game. "So it's been good." Much of Salas' career to this point has been good, which is why baseball fans in El Paso should see his as quickly as possible. Talent like his never hangs in El Paso for too long. Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Padres prospect Ethan Salas is moving up fast with El Paso Chihuahuas