Padres’ Ethan Salas becomes MLB’s youngest postseason catcher in Game 2 vs. Cubs

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Ethan Salas became the youngest player to catch in the major league postseason when he started Game 2 of the San Diego Padres’ NL Wild Card Series with the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night.

The 20-year-old Salas was seventh in the lineup announced by manager Craig Stammen at Petco Park. Salas also became the youngest player to appear in the postseason for San Diego.

Salas immediately made an impact while catching Nick Pivetta with a successful ABS challenge in the first inning. Salas got a reversal on what would have been ball four to Alex Bregman, who struck out two pitches later.

The Padres called up their top prospect on Sept. 1, and he became the youngest player to catch in a major league game since Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez in 1991. Salas, who was born in June 2006, went 10 for 24 to finish the regular season after going hitless in his first 15 big league at-bats.

“One, he’s a very talented player, and then probably two is his character and maturity that go with it,” Stammen said of the Padres’ decision to use Salas in the playoffs. “You add talent, you add character, and it adds up to a pretty nice little combo. Him getting to play this September was good for game experience, and it was also him showing us that he’s capable of handling any and all situations.”

Salas had a series of clutch hits during his late surge, and on Sept. 16 he became the youngest catcher to have a multi-homer game. He also earned praise for his defensive skills from the Padres’ staff, and even his acumen with ABS challenges was excellent.

That was more than enough to earn a spot on the 26-man postseason roster, and now Salas is getting a start for his playoff debut. Pivetta had already worked with the youngster in the regular season and during the veteran right-hander’s injury rehab.

“They have a good relationship,” All-Star Padres closer Mason Miller said of Salas and Pivetta. “I trust him. I know a lot of pitchers feel really good about throwing to him. Then you add in the types of at-bats he takes, working counts, willing to go the other way, put it up in the air and over the fence, too. He’s that full package that I think is only going to get better over time.”

Bob Didier was 20 years and 230 days old when he caught for the Atlanta Braves in the 1969 NL Championship Series.

Salas is a left-handed hitter, while fellow Padres catchers Freddy Fermin and Luis Campusano are righties. That made Salas a natural fit against Kevin Gausman, the Cubs’ right-handed starter in Game 2, after lefty Matthew Boyd started the opener.

San Diego jumped all over Boyd while taking the series opener with an 8-0 victory. The Padres have won 18 of their past 21 games as they enter Game 2 hoping to earn a trip to Milwaukee for the division series this weekend.

The Padres signed Salas, who was born in Florida and raised mostly in Venezuela, as an international free agent in January 2023 with a record $5.6 million bonus.

While general manager AJ Preller traded away nearly all of the top prospects in his fruitful farm system over the past several years in his attempts to win a World Series immediately, he didn’t deal Salas, who is widely considered one of the best catching prospects in recent baseball history.

The Padres haven’t hesitated to allow their top young talents onto the playoff stage during their current franchise-record run of five postseason appearances in seven years. Fernando Tatis Jr. made his playoff debut at 21 years old in 2020, and Jackson Merrill also was 21 for his postseason debut in 2024.

“He’s got enormous amounts of confidence, which is what I love to see out of young kids,” Merrill said of Salas. “He trusts himself, we trust him, and I think that bounces back on each other. We’ve shown we love him and trust him to do what he’s capable of doing, and he’s going to go out there and perform to the best of his abilities.”

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