Each week, MiLB.com profiles an elite prospect by chronicling the steps he's taken toward achieving his Major League dream. Here's a look at top Padres prospect Ethan Salas. For more stories about players on The Road to The Show, click here.

Ethan Salas has been among the most important players in the Minors for the past two seasons. So it’s easy to forget that he’s just 18 years old.

The top Padres prospect had an incredible debut season in 2023 but couldn’t replicate that success with High-A Fort Wayne this summer. In 111 games, he batted .206 with a .599 OPS, 33 extra-base hits and 53 RBIs.

Salas showed glimpses of the cornerstone potential that made him the No. 1-ranked prospect in last year’s international class. His impressive defensive acumen and ability to handle a pitching staff stood out. He also had his best offensive month in August before a strong Arizona Fall League campaign despite being more than four years younger than average on both circuits.

Presently, the backstop’s glove is ahead of his bat. Salas, described as a "mastermind by the plate" by an AFL teammate, is quicker and more athletic than the average catcher and possesses above-average arm strength. He’s also an excellent blocker and receiver and has been trusted to work with Major League hurlers since he signed last year.

Offensively, the No. 19 overall prospect is harder to figure out. He has tremendous power potential, but his fly-ball contact doesn’t always yield great results. In 177 Minor League games, he has just 13 long balls and 40 doubles. His gap-to-gap approach could evolve as he matures and develops more over-the-fence pop. So far, he’s kept his strikeout rate (20.9 percent in 2024) relatively low.

Salas finished the 2023 season with Double-A San Antonio, and he’s likely to participate in his third big league camp this spring. The numbers might not jump off the page. But he’s fared well against difficult early challenges.

"I'm really impressed by his ability," Padres manager Mike Shildt told MLB.com in March. "But I'm impressed by how together this dude is and how well he handles himself for everything that's been thrown at him."

Salas was born in Florida, lived in the Dominican Republic and ultimately signed out of Venezuela.

The 6-foot, 185-pound backstop has rich baseball bloodlines. His father, grandfather and uncle all played professionally. His brother, Jose, signed with the Marlins in 2021 and was traded to the Twins last year. Ethan and Jose played against each other in the Midwest League this season. Their younger brother, Andrew, is the No. 5 prospect in the 2025 international class.

The Salas brothers trained under their father at the CJ Baseball Academy in Venezuela. In addition to being ranked at the top of his class, Ethan also had the rare distinction of playing as a 16-year-old in the Venezuelan Winter League, getting into one game for the Aguilas del Zulia.

The Padres, who were already aggressive on the international market, have been big-game hunters in recent years. San Diego used nearly all of its bonus pool money to land Salas on a $5.6 million deal.

Immediately, they challenged the young backstop. Salas played his first professional game alongside big leaguers in the Cactus League and bypassed Rookie ball for his Minor League debut in May.

A shoulder injury delayed Salas’ Single-A Lake Elsinore debut to May 30. He reached base three times in his first California League game and became the first 16-year-old to play full-season ball since Julio Urías in 2013.

• Subscribe to the MLB Pipeline Newsletter

Salas really hit his stride in July, when he batted .366 with a 1.135 OPS, seven homers and 21 RBIs over 19 games.

The Padres pushed their top prospects toward the end of that season. Salas was elevated to Fort Wayne in August and played in just nine games before getting promoted again to San Antonio alongside four of the club’s top 12 prospects. Salas was the first 17-year-old to reach Double-A since Michael De León in 2014.

Although his time in San Antonio was brief, Salas made a strong impression. He delivered a walk-off hit in his first game with the Missions, then helped Robby Snelling, formerly the Padres’ top pitching prospect, hurl five hitless innings a week later. Offensively, he looked a bit overmatched, collecting just five hits in 28 at-bats (.179) with just one extra-base hit and three RBIs.

Salas earned Minor League Debut of the Year honors at the inaugural MiLB Awards Show, climbed to No. 5 in MLB Pipeline’s overall rankings and once again navigated big league Spring Training.

But Salas struggled upon his return to the Midwest League, batting .190 with a .555 OPS over his first 83 games. Still, he was invited to the All-Star Futures Game, where he went 1-for-2 with a run scored while starting behind the plate for the National League.

During the break, Salas went to San Diego to work with big league coaches to stay taller and get more leverage in his swing. He saw better results with those tweaks, batting .255 with a .737 OPS, 11 doubles, two homers and18 RBIs in August.

Salas maintained some of that momentum in the Fall League, where he matched his home run total while batting .228 with a .751 OPS to earn a spot in the Fall Stars Game.

He played for Peoria alongside Padres No. 2 prospect Leodalis De Vries – the No. 2 prospect in the 2024 international class. San Diego has developed a reputation for challenging its young players, with Rookie of the Year finalist Jackson Merrill being no exception. The Padres’ two teen phenoms have a long way to go but plenty of time to get there.