Last January the Padres signed catcher Ethan Salas, the top-ranked prospect on the International Market. Over the ensuing eight months he made his professional debut as a 16-year-old, was promoted through two level of the minor leagues to become the first 17-year-old in at least the last 40 years to play in the Texas League, and went from outside the MLB.com Top-100 prospects list to 5th overall.
So, this should not come as any surprise but it's still incredibly cool: Ethan Salas has been invited to Padres Spring Training.
The top catching prospect in the game is one of 32 non-roster invitees (players who are not on the Padres current 40-man roster) who will be with in big league camp in Peoria, AZ, in a couple of weeks. If it feels like it's a little early for him to be in a Major League camp, well, it is.
I asked the organization when the last time a kid who's not yet old enough to vote was invited to a big league camp and they're not sure. Apparently it's so rare that Elias Sports Bureau doesn't even track that kind of data.
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It is an extreme longshot that Salas would somehow find his way onto the Opening Day roster. But, it's certainly not out of the question for Salas to make his Major League debut in the next year or two, which would make him the first teenager to catch a big league game since Ivan Rodriguez in 1991. Pudge now has a plaque at the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.
There are several other youngsters who could play their way into the Padres Opening Day plans. Shortstop Jackson Merrill, their 2nd-ranked prospect, is expected to compete for a roster spot. In the outfield (the Padres still only have two outfielders on their 40-man) Jakob Marsee, who reached Double-A in his second pro season and won the MVP award in the illustrious Arizona Fall League, and Graham Pauley will get long looks.
Keep an eye on outfielder Calvin Mitchell, as well. The Rancho Bernardo High School alum was a top draft pick of the Pirates in 2017. He got a handful of at-bats in Pittsburgh before reaching free agency and signing a minor league deal with his home town team.
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The full list of non-roster invitees looks like this:
• RHP (12): Lake Bachar, Ryan Bergert, Drew Carlton, Yovanny Cruz, Matt Festa, Nick Hernandez, Kevin Kopps, Moises Lugo, Adam Mazur, Tommy Nance, Drew Thorpe, Nolan Watson
• LHP (5): Daniel Camarena, Ryan Carpenter, Austin Krob, Jayvien Sandridge, Robby Snelling
• C (3): Kevin Plawecki, Ethan Salas, Chandler Seagle
• INF (6): Marcos Castañon, Mason McCoy, Jackson Merrill, Nate Mondou, Graham Pauley, Tyler Wade
• OF (6): Bryce Johnson, Jakob Marsee, Óscar Mercado, Calvin Mitchell, Tirso Ornelas, Robert Perez Jr.
Padres pitchers and catchers report to the Peoria Sports Complex on Sunday, February 11.
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