SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Padres have opened the 2023 International Signing Period with the signing of catcher Ethan Salas, President of Baseball Operations & General Manager A.J. Preller and Vice President of Amateur & International Scouting Chris Kemp announced today.
Salas, 16, is widely considered the top overall player prospect in this year’s class, ranking first on Baseball America’s 2023 International Bonus Board, FanGraphs’ 2023 International Prospect Rankings, and MLB Pipeline’s International Prospect Rankings. The 6-2, 185-pound backstop is from Caracas, Venezuela, and is equipped with a pure left-handed swing and advanced eye at the plate. On defense, Salas shows athleticism, advanced blocking and receiving skills with a plus arm. The bilingual Salas comes from a strong baseball background and pedigree, as his older brother, Jose, signed with the Miami Marlins in July 2019 and is rated as a consensus top 5 prospect in the Marlins’ system by several top publications. His father, Jose Antonio, played in the Atlanta Braves‘ organization, his uncle, Jose Gregorio, played in the Toronto Blue Jays‘ system, and grandfather, Jose Gregorio, played in the Houston Astros’ and Kansas City Royals’ systems.
