MLB: Padres’ 16-year-old prospect Ethan Salas shines in minor league debut after signing $5.6m deal

At a time when most American teenagers are enjoying prom, 16-year-old Ethan Salas was making his pro baseball debut at a minor league game in Southern California on Tuesday.

More impressively, the San Diego Padres’ wunderkind catching prospect actually doubled and singled in his first two at-bats, as his Lake Elsinore Storm beat the Visalia Rawhide, 3-1, in a Single-A clash.

The Florida-born, Venezuela-raised, Salas signed a massive $5.6 million deal with the Padres over the off-season, thereby igniting a wave of interest in a player who won’t be 17 until June 1.

Salas finished the day 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored, giving him a lifetime .667 average with a 1.000 slugging percentage – both of which would lead the California League if he had enough at-bats to qualify. Salas, a left-handed hitter, primarily played catcher, but served as the Designated Hitter while batting second on Tuesday.

‘I was just really happy,’ Salas told MiLB.com’s Stephanie Sheehan of his debut. ‘I wasn’t nervous. I’ve been on bigger stages — Spring Training, my winter ball debut, so I went into tonight pretty relaxed. Just went about it like it was any other game.

This shot, from 573 baseball, shows Salas offloading gear to the first base coach after doubling

The Florida-born, Venezuela-raised, Salas signed a massive $5.6 million deal with the Padres over the off-season, thereby igniting a wave of interest in a player who won’t be 17 until June 1

‘That first hit, just to get it out of the way felt really nice,’ the bilingual Salas continued. ‘Then going in to my second hit, I was like, ”Oh, this is easy.” Just to play my game, play the game I know how to.’

The best part, Salas said, was getting the win.

‘I’m really happy about the win,’ Salas said. ‘The way I see baseball — the way I see any competition — is that I have to do whatever it takes to win. I didn’t want this to be all about me and my debut, I just wanted to go out there and win a game.’

Remarkably, Salas did not spend any time at the Rookie-ball level, instead going straight to Single-A Lake Elsinore. He is the first player born in 2006 to make his professional debut. The next youngest player is Angels outfielder Nelson Rada, who was born in August of 2005, according to the New York Post.

And as Baseball America reports, there has not been a 16-year-old at the Single-A level since current Los Angeles Dodgers ace Julio Urías in 2013.

‘He’s kind of the total-package catcher,’ scouting director Chris Kemp said following Salas’ signing. ‘It’s just rare. This is my ninth year doing international scouting and, for us, this is the most interesting guy we’ve scouted.’

MLB.com describes Salas as ‘the top player in the class’ and ‘one of the best catching prospects in recent history.’

Salas did not spend any time at the Rookie-ball level, instead going straight to Single-A

The younger brother of Twins prospect Jose Salas, Ethan has ‘a good feel for the strike zone’ and can ‘hit the ball to all fields.’

With developing power and improving mechanics behind the plate, he appears to be destined to play in the majors.

Of course, he is only 16, and it’s a long road between Single-A Lake Elsinore and San Diego’s Petco Park.

He’s already battled some shoulder soreness this year after some Cactus League games in March, which delayed his debut, but that appears to no longer be an issue.