Ethan Salas at Triple-A: The Month That Earned His Call-Up
Ethan Salas played 24 games at Triple-A El Paso before the Padres called him up. He hit .326 there and walked more often than he struck out.
▶ Watch Salas’ Triple-A run in under a minute, or read on.
The Padres promoted Ethan Salas to Triple-A El Paso on July 29, and he was in the lineup as the designated hitter that same night. A month later, San Diego called him up to the major leagues. Three of his biggest hits in between came with two strikes on him, and that habit explains a lot about the call.
Salas had been young for every level he reached
San Diego signed Salas at 16 for $5.6 million, as the top international prospect in the 2023 class. He skipped rookie ball that May and became the first 16-year-old to play in Single-A since Julio Urías in 2013.
He reached Double-A San Antonio at 17 that same summer and hit a walk-off double in his first game there. MLB.com reported that no 17-year-old was believed to have reached Double-A since Michael De León in 2014.
Salas comes from a baseball family, since his father, José, played in the Atlanta Braves organization. His brothers José and Andrew play in the Minnesota Twins and Miami Marlins systems.
He came back from a lost season at Double-A
A back injury cost Salas most of 2025 after only 10 games at Double-A. He went back to San Antonio in 2026 and hit .286 with 7 home runs over 72 games.
In the middle of that season, he represented the Padres at the MLB All-Star Futures Game on July 12 in Philadelphia. He singled and drew a walk against some of the best pitching prospects in the minors. Two and a half weeks later, San Diego promoted him to El Paso.
His Triple-A debut ended one home run short of the cycle
According to MLB.com, Salas was the youngest everyday regular at Triple-A this season. His first at-bat at that level came in the second inning against Albuquerque’s Jake Brooks. He drove a slider into left field for a double, which is the opposite field for a left-handed hitter.
In the sixth inning, he fell behind Nick Frasso 1-2 and then hit a two-run triple to right field at 104.9 mph. He drew a walk in the eighth inning with the game tied 5-5.
In the 10th, with El Paso down 9-6, he lined a 100-mph single to left off big-league veteran John Brebbia. El Paso lost 9-7, but Salas finished 3-for-4 with a walk and two RBI. The only hit missing from his cycle was a home run.
His first Triple-A home run came with two strikes
Salas hit his first Triple-A home run on August 7 at Reno, in his seventh game at the level. Reno’s Ashton Izzi had him down 1-2 in the third inning when he threw a curveball. Salas drove it out to right field for a three-run homer.
A 1-2 count pushes most hitters into a defensive swing that protects the plate and rarely does damage. Salas kept looking for a pitch he could drive, and he got one. He finished that night 2-for-4 with a walk, and El Paso won 8-6.
He walked more often than he struck out
Salas hit .360 with a 1.053 OPS through his first 13 games, and the average cooled after that. The number that held up best was his walk total, which finished the month ahead of his strikeouts.
| Salas at Triple-A El Paso, 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Games | 24 |
| Batting average | .326 |
| On-base percentage | .410 |
| Slugging percentage | .539 |
| OPS | .949 |
| Home runs | 3 |
| RBI | 24 |
| Walks | 14 |
| Strikeouts | 10 |
Most hitters in the minor leagues strike out far more often than they walk. A 20-year-old who does the opposite at the top level of the minors knows where his strike zone ends. For a catcher, that same eye also helps when he is the one calling the pitches.
The Padres had until August 31 to decide
By mid-August, Padres insider Dennis Lin reported a very good chance that Salas would reach San Diego in September. Manager Craig Stammen wanted Salas healthy and in rhythm first. He also said Salas was capable of playing in the majors at any point.
A player has to be on the 40-man roster by September 1 to be eligible for a playoff roster later. San Diego was in the Wild Card race and already had Luis Campusano and Freddy Fermin at catcher. The Padres made the call on August 31. We covered the promotion and his 352-foot first MLB hit in a separate story.
Salas did not force his way up with one big night. His walks and his two-strike hits point to the same habit, which is knowing what you will swing at before the pitch arrives. That habit gets built at practice, long before anyone is watching.
Try this at your next practice
- Use the whole field on purpose. Take one full round of batting practice in which every ball has to go to the opposite field or up the middle. Two of Salas’ three hits in his Triple-A debut went the opposite way. The approach that survives a jump in level does not depend on the pitcher missing over the middle.
- Pick your two-strike pitch in advance. Before your next game, decide exactly which pitch and location you are hunting with two strikes. Salas’ first Triple-A home run came on a 1-2 curveball, and his debut triple came on a 1-2 fastball. A plan is what keeps a two-strike swing from turning into a defensive one.
- Keep a swing-or-take log. During batting practice, track every pitch as a swing or a take and note whether it was in your zone. Aim for zero swings at pitches outside the zone and zero takes on pitches down the middle. Salas walked 14 times and struck out 10 at Triple-A, and that record starts with this skill.
Sources: Padres Ethan Salas promoted to Triple-A (MLB.com) · Ethan Salas stats and game log (MiLB.com) · Padres insider puts Ethan Salas on the doorstep of a September call-up (Friarsonbase) · Padres’ Top Prospect Ethan Salas Could Soon Be Knocking on the Door of the Majors (Yahoo Sports) · Padres’ Ethan Salas is Already Dominating in Triple-A (SI) · Top prospect Salas keeps raking at Triple-A, swats first tater (MLB.com) · Two Extra-Base Hits for Salas in El Paso Debut (OurSports Central) · Ethan Salas to Represent Missions at MLB All-Star Futures Game (OurSports Central) · Ethan Salas Has Hit, Walk In Futures Game (Padres Mission) · Padres prospect Ethan Salas doubles in pro debut, becomes first 16-year-old player in Single-A since 2013 (CBS Sports) · Padres promote 17-year-old top prospect to Double-A (MLB.com) · Padres prospect Ethan Salas, 17, records walk-off double in Double-A debut (CBS Sports)