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 head west with the big league club next spring, the fact that MLB¡¯s No. 19 prospect is even in the conversation is a testament to his skill set.

Exhibit A: A towering three-run homer from Salas on Tuesday afternoon for the Javelinas during a 9-7 loss to the Scorpions at the same field where he¡¯ll again be suiting up in a little less than four months.

As the ball soared toward the right-field bullpen beyond the fence for Salas¡¯ second Arizona Fall League homer, the yellow interlocking ¡°SD¡± of the club¡¯s complex glistened in the distance.

Beyond the obvious excitement behind the Padres¡¯ top prospect going deep, consider just one of his 12 regular-season professional homers has come off a southpaw. On top of that, he initially fell behind in the count, 0-2, before working it to an eighth pitch against Blue Jays No. 11 prospect Kendry Rojas, an offering that was up and out of the strike zone. He homered anyway.

Peoria teammate and fellow highly regarded Padres prospect Leodalis De Vries (SD No. 2/MLB No. 28) has received much of the ¡°holy cow, he¡¯s how young and at the Fall League?¡± attention when he arrived as a 17-year-old, but through 10 games, Salas is hitting .308 with a .912 OPS and ranks in the top five in the league in doubles (five) and RBIs (15).

He¡¯s only 18 and tearing up the Fall League? Even more impressive.

Salas and De Vries are the first players at age 18 to get a consistent run in the AFL since the Mariners¡¯ Julio Rodr¨ªguez in 2019. There have been five other players since 2005 to get at least 25 at-bats at the same age, including Bryce Harper, who did so twice (2010-11). With 15 RBIs for Peoria, Salas already holds the record among all 18-year-olds to play in the prospect circuit and he is one homer away from claiming the top spot with more than two weeks of games to play.

For as sizzling as Salas¡¯ bat has been in Arizona, it was equally frosty for stretches of the season with High-A Fort Wayne. Even with the caveat that the backstop was the same age as many high school seniors -- and plays the most physically taxing position defensively -- while competing against players an average of more than four years older, he hit just .206 and compiled a .599 OPS.

When the TinCaps¡¯ season ended on Sept. 8 with more than three weeks until his next game action, Salas did what so many other do when they're frustrated -- he tried turning it off before he turned it back on.

¡°Honestly, I just got away from baseball for a little bit,¡± Salas said. ¡°I saw some family, saw some loved ones and stuff, but I really just got away and so I kind of took [the Fall League] as a fresh start.¡±

While the Padres carefully monitored Salas¡¯ workload behind the dish this season despite universal acclaim for his talent as a catcher, there¡¯s no denying that playing in 111 games at High-A and now more than a dozen and counting in the AFL can make for a grueling grind, more than eight months removed from when he first arrived in Peoria as part of big league camp.

¡°I¡¯ve felt good through all these games we played this year,¡± Salas said. ¡°Just really trying to take care of my body as best as I can in the weight room, in the training room.

¡°I'm still young, too, so I still feel pretty good.¡±

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From the moment that Salas officially signed with San Diego on Jan. 15, 2023, as the top international prospect in his class, the hype surrounding his arrival has continued to percolate. The organization has not been shy at any point about pushing a player they believe could be a cornerstone for years to come. Understandably, fans are borderline giddy about his arrival -- whenever that may be.

¡°That just goes to show how great San Diego fans and the people of San Diego are,¡± Salas said of the outpouring of support he receives both on social media and in person at the ballpark. ¡°I'm super pumped -- like that pumps me up, fires me up when I see San Diego fans coming out and showing love. It just makes me want to get there sooner, honestly. I love it.¡±