Baseball

The Top Prospect Leading His Team to the Postseason

by
Scoops
September 20, 2026

The San Diego Padres‘ magic number to clinch a playoff spot fell to three after Ethan Salas launched his first-ever walk-off hit in the 10th inning of the Friars’ game against the Miami Marlins on Saturday night. In doing so, Salas (20 years, 110 days) surpassed Bryce Eldridge (21 years, 233 days) as the youngest player to walk off a game since Manny Machado (20 years, 69 days) did so in 2012. It’s an incredible feat for San Diego’s top prospect. What could be next for Salas as San Diego goes their third consecutive playoff berth in the final week of the 2026 season?

The Top Prospect Leading His Team to the Postseason

A Rocky Start in the Big Leagues

Salas didn’t exactly have the most auspicious start to his big-league career. After going on a blistering stretch in 24 Triple-A games this season (.326/.410/.539), the No. 1 prospect was called up when rosters expanded on September 1. He made his MLB debut a day later and went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. It was a rough showing from the young backstop, though he was about ten feet away from a home run in his first at-bat.

The problem was that it continued. 0-for-4 versus the New York Yankees, 0-for-4 against the Washington Nationals and 0-for-2 in Game 2 versus the San Francisco Giants. It was a rough stretch for Salas, who started his career in the majors going 0-for-15. He did manage to reach base once, grounding into a force out against the Nats. However, he also racked up six strikeouts.

The Breakout

Then, it happened. In the fourth inning of San Diego’s series finale versus the Giants, Salas came to the plate. He had struck out in his first at-bat against San Francisco ace Logan Webb. He fouled off the first pitch before taking a ball low and away. He fouled off another pitch that was low and took another to put the count at 2-2. Then, he jumped on a 92 mph four-seamer that was up-and-in that just missed for a home run. Instead, it went into Triples Alley in Oracle Park and Salas did just that. He flew around the bases and reached third before scoring his first big-league run when Fernando Tatis Jr. singled.

Sep 19, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill (3) dumps a cooler over pinch hitter Ethan Salas (8) after Salas hit a walk-off single during the tenth inning against the Miami Marlins at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

It didn’t come all at once after that. Salas pinch-hit in Game 2 versus the Colorado Rockies and went 0-for-1. But he got the start the next day and made use of it. Salas went 2-for-4 at the plate, launching two mammoth home runs in the hitter-friendly environs of Coors Field. He recorded three RBIs in the Friars’ eventual, 9-3, win over Colorado. In doing so, Salas became the youngest catcher in MLB history to record a mugtihomer game, as well as the youngest Padre to do so (at any position).

San Diego’s Hot Streak

Even without Salas’ help, the Padres still would have won that game. They throttled the Rox, and would have likely won the contest by three runs even without the long balls. Still, it’s been an incredible month for the Friars. They’ve won 13 of 17, entering play on Sunday, as well as 11 of their last 12 games. Much of that has been due to a white-hot offense. The Padres have scored six or more runs in nine of their 10 nine games. They’ve scored seven or more in nine of those contests.

That production has catapulted San Diego into playoff contention. At the beginning of the month, the Padres were fighting with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final NL Wild Card spot. Now, the Friars are tied with the Chicago Cubs for the top spot in the Wild Card. If they beat the Cubs, they’ll host the Wild Card in Petco Park. That’s a feat that seemed impossible just two weeks ago.

Surely not all of that is due to Salas, but his breakout has been remarkable to watch. It’s brought up questions of whether it’s worth giving him a spot on the Friars’ potential playoff roster. Regardless, Salas’ surge at the plate has been incredible to watch. Since recording his first hit, the 20-year-old catcher is batting .364 with two homers and 12 total bases (11 at-bats). If that production continues, he could very well earn that postseason roster spot.

Main Photo: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images