PHILADELPHIA, PA — Padres top prospect Ethan Salas, ranked 33rd on MLB’s Top 100 Prospects List, is a 20-year-old of many worlds.
Born in Kissimmee, Florida, and then moving with his family to Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and back to Florida throughout his childhood many times, as his father José Antonio Salas played in the minors for the Braves, Ethan was always on the go.
“My dad was with the Braves and I kinda just followed him around wherever he was playing baseball,” Salas told Latino Sports in an interview ahead of the 2026 MLB All-Star Futures Game Sunday at Citizens Bank Park.
“And I have an older brother (José Salas, 23, now with the Twins) as well who signed professionally in 2019 (with the Marlins). I was like 12 years old at the time. I kinda just followed them around wherever we were—the Dominican, Venezuela, back and forth from Florida to D.R. and Venezuela. Then I signed in 2023 and now we’re here.”
Of Venezuelan heritage through his father with Puerto Rican roots through his mother, Salas inked a deal with the Padres as an international free agent in 2023 for a total of $5.6 million, nearly all of the organization’s $5,825,500 base signing pool for the year.
Since then, he’s ascended his way up San Diego’s pipeline, appearing in two MLB All-Star Futures Games with 2024 being his first and Sunday at The Bank marking his second.
In a city Sunday afternoon for MLB’s All-Star Futures Game where Bryce Harper, a player Salas grew up watching and idolizing, has become a face of more and more by the year.
“Bryce Harper was a guy I watched a lot growing up as a kid, so it’s funny how things work out,” he revealed. Like Salas, Harper too was an elite catcher at one point in his baseball playing career—long before his call-up to the show.
Bryce Harper was one of Ethan Salas’ favorite players to watch while growing up and on Sunday, he had the opportunity to play at Harper’s home ballpark in Philadelphia for the 2026 MLB All-Star Futures Game – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
That’s not the case here with Salas as he compared the position and his joy in throwing on the mask behind the dish as playing quarterback.
“The catching position is just like being the quarterback, you know? Like running the game and I love being in the driver’s seat all game. It’s definitely fun.”
In other words, always being on the go, which Salas has done since he and his family could remember.
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