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The San Diego Padres have welcomed a 16-year-old into their Minor League system.
Ethan Salas, who turns 17 on Thursday, was added to the Single-A Lake Elsinore roster on Tuesday and made an immediate impact.
Ethan Salas, #85 of the San Diego Padres, sprints to first base during a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox on March 11, 2023 in Peoria, Arizona. This marks the first game the for 16 year-old 2023 international draft pick. (Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images)
The 86th-ranked prospect in Major League Baseball doubled and singled in his first two at-bats, adding a walk and scoring a run for the Storm.
The Padres signed the Venezuelan catcher to a $5.6 million deal in January.
"He's kind of the total-package catcher," scouting director Chris Kemp said after the Padres signed Salas this winter, according to MLB.com.
"It's just rare. This is my ninth year doing international scouting and, for us, this is the most interesting guy we've scouted."
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Ethan Salas, #85 of the San Diego Padres, looks on during a minor league spring training game against the Seattle Mariners at the Peoria Sports Complex on March 23, 2023 in Peoria, Arizona. (Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
Salas is the first player to see playing time in Single-A in his age-16 season since Julio Urias made his debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Low-A Great Lakes in 2013, according to Baseball America.
The teenager comes from a strong baseball background, with his brother Jose signing with the Miami Marlins in 2019.
Salas’ father, grandfather and uncle all played in the minor leagues, according to the Times of San Diego.
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Ethan Salas, #85 of the San Diego Padres, stands in the bullpen before a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox on March 11, 2023 in Peoria, Arizona. (Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images)
He made his Cactus League debut against the Chicago White Sox in March, impressing Padres manager Bob Melvin.
"For a 16-year-old kid behind the plate, I'll tell you, he's well beyond his years," Melvin said. "You watch the way he frames pitches -- a couple balls in the dirt got by him -- but he has his wits about him. ... It's pretty incredible to see a 16-year-old with that kind of composure."
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