SALAS COULD BE SPECIAL

When Ethan Salas arrived in the California League on May 30, he immediately displayed talent well beyond his years.

- Kyle Glaser, Josh Norris & Geoff Pontes

LOW-A

The Padres assigned Salas to Low-A Lake Elsinore this season when he was just 16 years old, making him the first player that age to appear in the full-season minor leagues since Julio Urias in 2013.

Salas, who signed in January and bypassed Rookie ball entirely, reached base in seven of his first eight plate appearances, turned 17 two days after his arrival and never slowed down.

Salas hit .267/.350/.487 with nine home runs and 35 RBIS in 48 games for Lake Elsinore before earning a promotion to High-A Fort Wayne-and eventually Double-A San Antonio in late August.

Beyond the numbers, the Venezuelan catcher showed an uncanny knowledge of the strike zone and remarkable poise in the batter's box that belied his youth.

Salas laid off tantalizingly close pitches, worked counts like a season veteran and made consistent contact with a direct, fluid, lefthanded swing.

After hitting into some bad luck early, Salas hit 312/.359/.633 with eight home runs in his final 26 games with the Storm before being promoted.

"At 17 you're usually writing a high school follow report on a guy," one rival evaluator said. "I haven't seen a newly-turned 17-year-old in full-season who really looks like he belongs.

"He's taking 97 (mph) up in the zone and just crushed it for a home run. He's got a chance to be pretty damn good."