Ethan Salas, the youngest active player in Major League Baseball, just helped the Padres seal a spot in the playoffs Thursday night, breaking up a no-hitter and driving in a clutch run as San Diego clinched their third straight postseason appearance. This kid, all of 20 years old, is absolutely electric.
The Kid Just Delivered, Big Time
The Dodgers thought they had Tyler Glasnow cruising, but Salas had other plans. In the sixth inning, with one out, he stepped up and snapped Glasnow’s no-hitter, then immediately scored the go-ahead run. Not content with that, an inning later he delivered a massive RBI single to really put the Dodgers away. This is the kind of ice-in-his-veins play you expect from a grizzled veteran, not a guy who’s only been in the big leagues for 22 days! Padres manager Craig Stammen knew what he had. He said you just “feel his maturity and his knowledge of baseball and ability to retain information” from the moment you meet him. Salas himself told reporters, “It feels good to be a part of it. It’s awesome. It feels even better when you’re contributing.” Yeah, no kidding, kid!
From Double-A to Playoff Clincher in a Flash
Salas’s path to the big leagues has been a whirlwind. He started the year in Double-A, got promoted to Triple-A at the end of July, and then the Padres called him up on September 2nd. At 20 years, 93 days old, he became the youngest catcher to play in an MLB game since Ivan Rodriguez back in 1991. The team trusted him, even when he went hitless in his first 14 at-bats in a part-time role. And now, they’re cashing in big time. This kid has responded to every challenge. Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller said they thought he was “somebody we wanted to challenge” back when they first scouted him at 16 years old. He certainly has responded.
This Is Just the Beginning For Salas
Talk about a turnaround! After that rough start, Salas has been on an absolute tear, slashing .381/.409/.762 over his last nine games. He tripled on September 13th, became the youngest catcher ever with two home runs in a game on September 16th, and then walked the Padres off with a win on September 19th. And now, he’s coming up clutch to get his team into the playoffs. It’s wild because the Padres were 48-48 at the All-Star break with the worst offense in baseball. No one saw this coming. Now, they’ve sealed a playoff spot and are set to host Arizona this weekend. If Salas keeps this up, the rest of the league needs to watch out because this kid is just getting started.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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