The Padres have every reason to feel good about where they are right now, and Ethan Salas has only added to that buzz.
San Diego heads into the postseason on a roll, having won 11 of its last 12, and the club got another boost when rosters expanded on Sept. 1 and Salas was called up to make his MLB debut. The 20-year-old top prospect arrived with momentum already built up from the minors, where he hit .286/.361/.417 this season before moving to Triple-A and taking off even more. In 24 games there, he batted .326 with a .949 OPS, making a strong case that he belonged on the big-league roster.
He didn’t take long to make a splash. Salas’ first MLB hit was a triple, making him the first and youngest player to do that since Manny Machado in 2012. Then, on Wednesday, he added two home runs, becoming the youngest catcher in MLB history to post a multi-homer game.
Even with that kind of start, Salas hasn’t sounded overwhelmed by the moment. He told the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee that he’s trying to keep the game in the simplest possible terms.
“I mean, it’s just going out there and trying to have fun,” Salas said. “When you’re thinking about winning and winning the game, it’s selfless.
You’re not thinking about what you did that day or what personal goals you have. It’s more like it doesn’t matter how I do today as long as we get the win.
And obviously, you’re trying to do good and put your two cents in to help the team win. But it’s a lot more selfless, and you kind of lean on your guys a little more, and you just enjoy the game a lot more.”
The bat has been the headline so far, but Salas has made it clear that his defensive identity is still the anchor.
“My defense … it never goes away for me,” Salas said. “Whether I’m hitting or not, it’s our job as catchers to be dialed in back there and 100% locked in.
So I think that’s something that always, always goes with me everywhere. The hitting will come along."
At the MLB level, though, he’s still working through the adjustment. Salas has three hits so far and is batting .120, a reminder that the jump from Triple-A to the majors is a steep one. Still, the way he talks about the grind sounds a lot like a veteran who’s been around the block, not a 20-year-old just getting started.
“You see it from the outside looking in, and it can look a little different,” Salas said. “But once you get here, it’s kind of the same routine.
Not the exact same routine as in the minors, but it’s the same baseball. You do the same stuff, though there are a little more things to do every day.
You just prepare more. I think the preparation is just a little more important.
And that’s it.”
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San Diego has been waiting for breaks like this, because every loss by a rival in the same race can make the path a little less steep. The Phillies slide took a hit in the wild-card standings, and the Padres benefited without stepping on the field, the kind of result contenders keep an eye on as September pressure starts to build. [Read more 🡒]
Fernando Tatis Jr. Finally Solved The Padres Biggest Stretch Run Need
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Even before the power surge arrived, Tatis was still helping in other ways by getting on base and creating pressure with his legs, which mattered for a Padres club trying to stay afloat in the NL Wild Card race. Now the question is less about whether he can carry an offense at times and more about how far this version of Tatis can push San Diego in the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]