How Ethan Salas will help Padres clinch NL Wild Card spot

The San Diego Padres aren’t asking Ethan Salas to save their season. But their 20-year-old top prospect might be exactly what they need to help finish the job.

San Diego has called up Salas for the September stretch run, bringing one of the organization’s most highly anticipated prospects to the majors with a postseason spot hanging in the balance.

Salas has been on the radar of Padres fans since signing as the No. 1 international prospect in 2023. His path to the majors hasn’t always been perfect, particularly offensively, but his recent performance shows why San Diego believes now is the time.

After being promoted from Double-A, Salas has torn apart Triple-A pitching. In 24 games, he hit .326 with a .949 OPS, three home runs, six doubles, two triples, 24 RBI and 14 walks. His .539 slugging percentage is especially impressive for a catcher who is still only 20 years old. Now comes the biggest test of his career.

The Padres enter September at 73-65, holding the final NL Wild Card spot by just half a game over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Here are three reasons Salas could help make sure San Diego stays there.

His defense gives San Diego another late-game weapon

The Padres don’t need to force him into an everyday role immediately. Salas’ calling card has always been his work behind the plate.

Salas could start some games at catcher, but San Diego can also utilize him at DH before moving him behind the plate late in games. In close September contests, having a talented defensive catcher available on the bench gives the Padres another option when protecting a lead.

His defense is advanced for his age, and that’s one area of his game that should translate regardless of how quickly his bat adjusts to major-league pitching. October-style baseball often comes down to the smallest advantages. Salas gives San Diego another one.

Ethan Salas gives the Padres another left-handed bat

This might be Salas’ quickest path to making an impact. San Diego doesn’t necessarily need him to immediately become its everyday catcher. Instead, the Padres can find favorable matchups for his left-handed bat and give him opportunities at designated hitter.

That’s where his Triple-A surge becomes intriguing. Salas finally appears to be figuring things out offensively after his bat took longer to develop than his defense. A .949 OPS doesn’t guarantee immediate MLB success, but it provides plenty of reason to see what he can do.

Luis Campusano also gives San Diego flexibility. His right-handed bat can complement Salas, allowing the Padres to adjust based on matchups rather than placing the entire catching workload on a 20-year-old.

Salas doesn’t have to become a star immediately. If he can provide a handful of big hits in September, that alone could change the Wild Card race.

Opposing pitchers haven’t seen Salas

There’s also an element of unpredictability working in Salas’ favor. Major-league pitchers don’t have an extensive book on him yet.

That advantage won’t last forever. Teams will quickly identify weaknesses and adjust, and then it will become Salas’ responsibility to counter those adjustments. But during a one-month sprint for a postseason berth, unfamiliarity can work in his favor.

If Salas carries his Triple-A confidence into his first few weeks in San Diego, he could provide an immediate spark before opposing teams have time to fully adjust. And the Padres might only need that spark for a few weeks.

San Diego’s remaining schedule is favorable compared to Arizona’s, but the Wild Card race could still come down to the final days of September.

Fittingly, the Padres and Diamondbacks will meet in San Diego for the final series of the regular season beginning Sept. 25. By then, Salas could be much more than an exciting September call-up. He could be one of the reasons the Padres enter that series controlling their own postseason destiny.

San Diego has waited more than three years to see Salas reach the majors. The timing couldn’t be better. The Padres don’t need him to carry them to October. They just need his left-handed bat, defense and immense upside to provide an extra push.

In a Wild Card race this close, that could be enough.

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