PEORIA, Ariz. -- When the Padres break spring camp at the Peoria Sports Complex in February, Ethan Salas will be among the Major League group for the second time, an astounding feat considering he’ll be just 18 years old. While it would be a significant development if Salas were to

The first thing you hear about Ethan Salas the ballplayer is how incredibly advanced he is for his age. There seldom are 18-year-olds in big league Spring Training camp or at the Arizona Fall League, but San Diego has handled Salas’ development with one ethos in mind: Push the gifted.

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

PEORIA, Ariz. -- The season is meant to be measured in growth. In many ways, Ethan Salas has been just trying to get back to equilibrium. He appears to be getting there. Need proof? Look at one statistic in particular. “I’ve been like that my whole life ever since I

MESA, Ariz. -- The Padres aren't afraid to challenge elite young prospects. They sent Ethan Salas , the top player in the 2023 international class, to Double-A at age 17 last summer. They had Leodalis De Vries, the best player in this year's international crop, spend all of this season

SAN DIEGO -- Leodalis De Vries' breakout first professional season may be coming to an early end. The Padres' 17-year-old shortstop prospect -- MLB Pipeline's top-ranked international signing in the current class -- suffered a strained right shoulder while diving for a ball on Sunday. Per team sources, De Vries'

Welcome to Crooked Numbers, a monthly column dedicated to Minor League Baseball on-field oddities and absurdities. The edition, rounding up the month of July, features intra-organizational no-nos, wild romps, unexpected mound dominance and, of course, much more. Keeping track of this type of thing is a team effort, so get

Forty-nine of MLB’s top prospects will compete at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday in the All-Star Futures Game. This year’s iteration, which marks the 25th anniversary of the contest, will feature the first-ever Futures Skills Showcase, a three-challenge event that will test participants’ precision and power at

Welcome to Crooked Numbers, a monthly column dedicated to Minor League Baseball on-field oddities and absurdities. The June edition features a doubles deluge, oppositional surnames, way too many walks and, of course, much more. Keeping track of this type of thing is a team effort, so get in touch if

Leo De Vries has perhaps never deserved his nickname of “El Mutante” more than on Friday night when he left the yard twice for the first multihomer game of his very young pro career. But that’s not where his otherworldly abilities end -- the 17-year-old homered from both the right

It took 36 games, but Leodalis De Vries connected on his first professional home run at age 17. MLB’s No. 78 prospect received an aggressive assignment to Single-A Lake Elsinore after signing with the Padres in January as the top-ranked international free agent. He racked up a four-RBI performance in

Nate Mondou is a grinder. The eight-year pro vet has suited up for three different organizations since being selected by the Athletics in the 13th round of the 2016 Draft, but while the threads have changed over the years his mentality has not: grind every at-bat, every game and do

When Trevor Hoffman used to jog in from the bullpen ahead of the ninth inning at home, AC/DC's “Hells Bells” boomed out of the speakers and batters knew they had a tall task ahead of them. When Wyatt Hoffman, son of the Hall of Famer, took the mound Wednesday night

The Pacific Coast League has been characterized as different compared to its Minor League Baseball counterparts, and the El Paso Chihuahuas’ victory Saturday is a prime example why. El Paso accomplished a feat that seemingly looked impossible at Southwest University Park. Trailing by 14 runs in the fourth inning, the

Welcome to Promo Preview, a monthly round-up of Minor League Baseball promotions to look forward to. June highlights include iconic socks, bipedal cows, regional food battles and, of course, much more. Dive in.

Each week, MiLB.com profiles an elite prospect by chronicling the steps he's taken toward achieving his Major League dream. Here's a look at third-ranked Padres prospect Dylan Lesko. For more stories about players on The Road to The Show, click here. Dylan Lesko seems to finding his footing in professional

Back in 2022, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps front office posted a sign on the clubhouse wall. It featured a simple, but unusual request: Would any players want to speak publicly about mental health? The front office was not obligating anyone to do anything, and couldn’t predict what kind of

Since signing Ethan Salas for $5.6 million out of Venezuela as the prize of the 2023 international signing period, the Padres have had no problem challenging him with aggressive assignments. It's been a challenge at times this year for the game’s No. 6 overall prospect in High-A Fort Wayne, where

In an era that places a premium on platoon advantages, switch-hitters can be the most versatile members of a lineup -- even if they've become increasingly hard to find. Over the past four seasons, the number of switch-hitting batters in the Majors has slowly ticked down from 10.7 percent in

After a multi-season hiatus, Crooked Numbers returns with a heaping portion of Minor League Baseball on-field oddities and absurdities. This edition, covering the start of the season through the end of April, has a disproportionate number of items from the Triple-A level. As for why that is, who knows? Maybe

This is an excerpt from the latest edition of the Ben's Biz Beat Newsletter, bringing Minor League Baseball business and culture news to your inbox each and every Thursday. Check out the full newsletter HERE. Last month, a newsletter reader named Karen emailed the following question: “What is the most

It’s often said to not let a shooter on the basketball court see one go through the net, lest they heat up and find their rhythm. That might be an apt analogy for Leodalis De Vries, the No. 1 international prospect in the 2024 class, who excelled on the basketball

In recent years, the Padres have shown they are not afraid to push their top prospects. For the second straight season, they are starting a 17-year-old No. 1 international prospect at Single-A Lake Elsinore rather than in rookie ball, and in turn, challenging him from the moment he enters the

The Padres signed the top prospect of his international class. They brought him over stateside in his first professional spring, and his Minor League debut will come at a full-season level. Sound familiar?

Following last Friday’s second Opening Day, all four full-season levels of Minor League Baseball are officially playing their 2024 regular seasons. That has given us a few days to take in and digest rosters across Triple-A, Double-A, High-A and Single-A to determine the best of the best. Some are loaded