'He's pretty special': Andrew Salas makes pro debut in Spring Breakout

This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola¡¯s Marlins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

JUPITER, Fla. -- Want to feel old?

Marlins No. 5 prospect Andrew Salas was born in 2008. He just turned 17 on March 4, making him the youngest player featured on a Spring Breakout roster.

¡°He was just coming into this world, and probably then he was a better baseball player than me already,¡± director of Minor League operations Hector Crespo said. ¡°He's pretty special.¡±

If the Salas surname sounds familiar, it¡¯s because he¡¯s the youngest of three brothers in professional baseball: Twenty-one-year-old Jose is a former Marlins shortstop prospect in the Twins¡¯ system, while 18-year-old catcher Ethan is a Padres farmhand who ranks as MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 33 overall prospect.

Andrew followed in their footsteps two months ago by signing as the headliner of Miami¡¯s international signing class. On Friday, he made his pro ball debut when Marlins and Cardinals prospects battled to a 3-3 tie in the second annual Spring Breakout at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

¡°It¡¯s always good to see that recognition and get the credit for all the hard work you've put in, and let it be shown out in the big stage,¡± said Andrew, who entered as a defensive replacement at second base in the sixth inning.

Baseball was predestined for Andrew, whose grandfather, father and uncle all played professionally in Venezuela. Orlando, Fla.-born and Venezuelan-raised, Andrew Salas picked up the sport at the age of 2 and grew up training at the family¡¯s complex.

Though Andrew fought with his brothers when they were younger, as siblings often do, they¡¯re best friends. One of Andrew¡¯s favorite memories was competing in a tournament with Ethan, something they did just once because they often played up a level.

Andrew considers Jose, who was the marquee free agent in the Marlins¡¯ 2019 international class, his role model. After signing this January, Andrew flew to Orlando to work out with Jose before joining the first wave of Minor Leaguers in Jupiter for the first week of February.

¡°Our development and seeing all of us growing, I think it's been really cool,¡± said Ethan, who talks with his little brother every day. ¡°Me looking up to my older brother during his process of signing and now Andrew looking at me, trying to be better than me, it's really healthy competition. We help each other out.¡±

According to some scouts, Andrew has the same maturity and high baseball IQ as his older siblings, but he is more athletically gifted than them. Plus, he has had the added benefit of learning from his siblings¡¯ experiences.

MLB Pipeline¡¯s scouting report further describes the switch-hitting Andrew as a batter with good plate discipline. Thanks to his solid-to-plus speed, he¡¯s a quality defender at shortstop and center field, making both positions a possibility in the Majors.

¡°Tall, lanky, twitchy kid, athlete over anything,¡± said Ethan, who also will compete in a Spring Breakout showcase in Arizona. ¡°He's a really good athlete. He can do a lot of things on the baseball field. Walks a lot, he runs a lot, steals a lot of bases. He's a really good defender at short and center field as well. He's a good ballplayer.¡±

While Friday marked the beginning of Andrew¡¯s journey proving as much, it signified the latest chapter for those he shares the field with. Some of the prospects are on 40-man rosters, knocking on the door to The Show.

That didn¡¯t faze the precocious Andrew, who is used to being the youngest around. Though Andrew struck out in his first at-bat, he just missed a homer in his second AB. On a slow roller in the eighth, Andrew charged the ball but committed a throwing error on the play.

¡°I don't feel like the average 17-year-old,¡± Andrew said. ¡°For me, it's just a number, because I've always been around older guys. I've always been around guys two years, three years older than me. I've always played with guys 10 years older than me, so it's just normal to me.¡±

As such, the 6-foot-2, 180-pounder appears to be on the fast track like Ethan based on the circumstances of his debut. This aggressiveness falls in line with the Marlins¡¯ modus operandi since director of player development Rachel Balkovec took over.

The organization hasn¡¯t been shy about challenging its prospects and seeing whether they rise to the occasion. The Marlins appreciate the unique talent they have in Andrew and want to see him force their hand to move quickly through the system.

¡°He's fit in seamlessly,¡± Crespo said of the bilingual Andrew. ¡°Hasn't been really much of an adjustment curve, even with some guys that were older than him. He's fit in well, meshes well with the guys, and they've almost taken him under their wing as their little brother. He's held his own. He's been pretty fun to watch.¡±

AJ Cassavell contributed to this story.