Padres teen prospects Salas and De Vries coming of age this fall

MESA, Ariz. – Ethan Salas and Leodalis De Vries have been inextricably linked to begin their pro careers, having been the respective No. 1 overall international prospects in 2023 and ‘24, both choosing to sign with the Padres.

Top prospects of rebuilding clubs who come with extreme promise and impact potential often have fans salivating to see them put their skill set on display in an advanced manner. But San Diego has recently managed to marry winning at the big league level with pushing their preternaturally gifted youngsters when the pedigree matches the talent, putting the duo on course to contribute to a World Series run in the not-too-distant future.

The latest sign that the club believes in their long-term upside was the decision to send its top two prospects to the Arizona Fall League, long heralded as the “finishing school” for prospects knocking on the door of the big leagues. While seeing either of the teens in The Show in 2025 is a tremendously ambitious idea, early returns have them proving their mettle against advanced competition.

Salas (MLB No. 19) matched a professional best with four RBIs and roped his fifth double in six Fall League contests during Peoria’s 8-7 loss to Mesa at Sloan Park on Wednesday night, while De Vries (MLB No. 28) delivered a multihit performance and picked up his first AFL RBI -- five days after turning 18 years old.

“They're crazy. They're competitors,” said left-handed pitching prospect Harry Gustin, who is also a member of the Padres’ Fall League contingent and was a teammate of both De Vries and Salas during 2024 during his stints with Single-A Lake Elsinore and High-A Fort Wayne. “Leo De Vries, that guy wants to win more than anybody. He's a great teammate to have. I would not like to face him.

"Same with Salas, he's a mastermind behind the plate. I love throwing to him, he makes me look great. His maturity, he's off the charts. He's a great kid. I love them both.”

The Fall League isn’t the first premier stage the two have shared. In March, Salas and De Vries were the club’s headliners during the inaugural Spring Breakout, a role they’re likely to reprise next spring as well.

De Vries spent this season as the youngest regular in the California League, doing what Salas did the year prior -- playing full-season pro ball at the same age as many American high school seniors.

“It just kind of puts it into perspective how good he is at such a young age; I can't even imagine myself doing that at 17,” Robby Snelling, the club’s Spring Breakout starting pitcher who was dealt to Miami at the Trade Deadline, said of De Vries in March.

While Salas served as the designated hitter Wednesday, he’s made a home behind the plate, earning effusive praise from nearly every hurler in the Padres organization who has thrown to him. He was in Major League camp this spring -- at 17 years old. In June, he was tasked with catching the rehabbing Yu Darvish at High-A, a role he secured after earning the trust of club officials with his game-calling aptitude and all-around baseball acumen.

In addition to the offensive opportunities presented by the Fall League, Salas has also gotten to work with a multitude of arms beyond his own organization. And he’s earned extra marks by showcasing his 60-grade throwing arm, catching a pair of basestealers earlier in the week.

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“I’m not trying to look so pretty when I’m throwing to second or trying to be so smooth or too fast because sometimes you try to be too fast trying to get the fastest pop time off,” Salas told MLB.com’s Sam Dykstra. “I think just getting a quality clean transfer off and your best accurate throw helped me a lot.”

"I am proud of being with Ethan here," De Vries said last week. "I knew him in the Dominican Republic even before pro ball. We have a really good relationship and he's happy to help me and hang out with me."