DENVER -- The Padres made Ethan Salas the youngest catcher in the big leagues in 35 years, because they figured he could help them in their postseason push.
He’s doing exactly that.
In the Padres’ 9-3 victory over the Rockies on Wednesday night at Coors Field, Salas launched the first home run of his career. Then, he launched another one -- and made a bit of baseball history in the process.
At 20 years, 107 days old, Salas became the youngest catcher in MLB history with two home runs in the same game. He’s the youngest Padre at any position to do so.
“It was a good day,” a grinning Salas said afterward, marking quite the understatement. “Thankfully we got the win. And I got two good swings off today.”
A good day got even better for the Padres later that night. With the Marlins’ win over the Diamondbacks, the Padres moved 3 1/2 games ahead of Arizona in the race for the final Wild Card spot in the National League.
That lead is four games in the loss column -- meaning the Padres now control their own destiny to clinch before the Diamondbacks even come to Petco Park for the final series of the season.
That’s the situation the Padres have thrown Salas into -- a playoff race that could come down to the final weekend. Salas is the Padres’ top prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and was the top international prospect in the class of 2023. They’ve always believed that he’s mature well beyond his years. He seems to be proving it.
“For the first time in the big leagues, he was able to show everybody what he’s made of,” said Padres manager Craig Stammen. “He caught a great game. Also hit two big homers.”
COMPLETE PADRES PROSPECT COVERAGE
Leading off the second inning, Salas crushed a first-pitch fastball from Rockies right-hander Mason Adams a Statcast-projected 426 feet to straightaway center field, giving the Padres a 3-1 lead. Then, in the fifth, he turned on another fastball from Rockies reliever Nick Frasso and launched to the seats in right field.
In the process, Salas became the youngest player at any position to hit multiple homers in a game since Vladimir Guerrero Jr. did so in 2019. The only other players to do so at a younger age than Salas in the last 20 years? Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Juan Soto and current teammate Manny Machado.
“I'm just a kid playing baseball, man,” Salas said. “So it's pretty crazy to be in company with such high-caliber guys like that.”
At the plate, at least, Salas started his big league career slowly, hitless in his first 15 at-bats. But he notched his first big league hit on Sunday -- a triple at Oracle Park in San Francisco.
“It always feels good to put your two cents into the win,” Salas said. “Yeah, after the triple, everything kind of loosened up a little bit.”
Salas hasn’t been playing every day. That’s not what the Padres called him up to do. Their tandem of Luis Campusano and Freddy Fermin has been solid for most of the second half. But they thought Salas could be a useful lefty bat off the bench, getting an occasional start here and there.
Even when he was struggling at the plate, he drew rave reviews from the Padres’ pitchers for his work behind it. Wednesday was no different, with 13-year veteran Robbie Ray throwing to Salas for the first time.
“He was great back there today,” said Ray, who allowed three runs on three hits over six innings. “We had a gameplan going into it. He was with me on the gameplan the whole time. … He did a great job.”
Salas had even ended the bottom of the first inning with a savvy ABS challenge that helped Ray strand a couple baserunners.
Half an inning later, on the very next pitch, he became the youngest player to homer as a catcher since Iván Rodríguez on Sept. 6, 1991. Of course, Salas, who turned 20 in June, is also the youngest player to catch in the big leagues since Rodríguez. Only two Padres at any position had homered at a younger age -- Fernando Tatis Jr. and Roberto Alomar.
Salas smiled as he rounded the bases. Then, he returned to the dugout bench and engaged Ray about their plan of attack for the bottom of the second. Salas insists that’s his focus. The offense is secondary.
“I'm just trying to be as prepared as I can with the pitchers, honestly,” he said. “Just try to stay as dialed as I can behind the plate. Even the days that I'm not playing, watch as much as possible, get to know these guys on a personal level.”
That’s the mindset that sold the Padres on Salas' promotion to the big leagues. He’s a 20-year-old catcher, sure. But he doesn’t act like it.
“Playing the position that he plays, as catcher, it makes it doubly tough,” Stammen said. “He’s got a lot thrown at him, learning every pitcher on the staff, gameplans, all that stuff. And then: ‘Oh yeah, you’re expected to hit, too.’”