The San Diego Padres’ call-up of Ethan Salas was a brilliant decision. It gave the Friar Faithful a sneak peek at what 2027 might hold. Salas is a lock for next season’s Opening Day lineup.
The young catcher offers an exciting, dynamic skill set — and the most intriguing part is that his ceiling remains a mystery. In reality, a rookie’s expectations are grounded by their physical limitations. In Salas’ case, his potential is hard to define because his talents may take him to a place few players ever go.
Hitting was a struggle
His addition solidified the bottom third of the order. He batted .256 with two home runs and five RBI in 40 plate appearances. The only offensive concern is that Salas struck out 22.5% of the time.
Strikeouts are not the end-all, but he needs to develop a better eye for the strike zone. Salas is failing to recognize pitches coming out of the delivery and then chases them out of the strike zone. The results do not paint a great picture of his at-bats.
Still, there is room for improvement. The offseason is the perfect time to refine his approach at the plate. Better plate discipline will earn Salas more hittable pitches to drive for extra-base hits.
Defense is his calling card
Much of Salas’ success derives from the most lethal weapon in his toolbox: defense. It is a true testament to his willingness to lead from behind the dish. Although his defensive metrics come from a small sample size of 15 games, he posted a .983 fielding percentage and showcased an elite arm.
Major League scouts graded his defense a 70, which is considered Gold Glove-caliber. Salas’ throws are lightning-fast, driven by a quick transfer from glove to throwing hand. The Padres have not had a catcher with this ability since Benito Santiago.
Salas loves to push the envelope by throwing down to first base to see if he can catch a base runner straying too far off the bag. The rookie catcher hasn’t thrown out a major leaguer on an attempted steal, but his throws were on target. He did gun down 27% of would-be base-stealers at the minor league level.
Salas’ defensive play earned him the 2026 Minor League Defensive Player of the Year honors this past September.
Despite the instant success, the growing pains are apparent. Salas has an opportunity to address those weaknesses this offseason.
Make no mistake, he is expected to be the 2027 Opening Day catcher.
Padres News:
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