Catchers do not care about the timeline you give them. That much is certain. We’ve seen it throughout time. Some catchers fly through systems and hit a roadblock at the big league level. Some catchers aren’t even highly regarded but become All-Stars and even future Hall of Famers. And while some of the top prospect catchers from the last couple of seasons are having great starts to 2026, it remains true that catching is difficult to develop. It’s a big reason why the Padres felt compelled to trade two legitimate starting pitching options to acquire a solid catcher in Freddy Fermin last July.
Fermin is another shining example of catching developing on different timelines. He was never a top prospect with the Royals, spending six full seasons in the minors before getting a cup of coffee in 2022 and then developed into an excellent backup catcher to Salvador Perez. The Royals and other teams knew he was capable of more and the Padres took that chance on him. He didn’t blow anyone away offensively in his first couple of months in San Diego, but he’s a stabilizing presence behind the plate, and was huge for the Padres down the stretch.
Luis Campusano’s long-awaited offensive breakthrough finally gives Padres fans something to believe in
If Luis Campusano had developed as the Padres hoped, they may not have felt compelled to make that deal for Fermin. He could have paired with one of Elias Diaz or Martin Maldonado to give the Padres a solid tandem. But it has taken him quite awhile to make good on his promise as a top-100 prospect for three years running. Now, he’s shown flashes before, hitting .319/.356/.491 in 49 games in 2023, but fell back in 2024 and only had 27 plate appearances in 2025, going 0 for 21 with six walks. Through all this, though, he kept hitting in the minors.
Now, he’s finally started to step up, hitting .350/.395/.750 in 43 plate appearances through Sunday’s action. He’s been solid defensively as well, ranking in the 89th percentile in blocks above average and the 70th percentile in caught stealing above average. He hits the ball hard. He barrels it. And he fields the position well enough that he can be trusted behind the plate, which is vital, and often a big factor in catcher development stalling. But after years of waiting, the Padres have to feel like he’s arrived, which allows them to deploy Fermin in a way that probably better suits his skillset.
Ethan Salas’ latest surge hints the Padres’ top prospect story is only getting started
Speaking of catching prospects making it on their own time, Ethan Salas was once one of the hottest prospects in all of baseball. Heading into the 2024 season, he was ranked eighth by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline and was ranked 12th by Baseball Prospectus. A lot of that was based on being one of the youngest players at his level. He didn’t even turn 18 until June of 2024, and was already playing at the high-A level following hitting .267/.350/.487 in low-A as a 17-year-old. But he struggled in 2024, and his rankings fell as well. He was 31st, 33rd, and 40th across the big three rankings heading into 2025. Then a stress reaction in his lower back limited him to just 10 games in 2025. Baseball America still had him ranked in the top-100 at 90 heading into 2026, but the prospect shine had faded.
He’s still just 19, though, and playing in AA San Antonio. He won’t turn 20 until June 1. And he’s excelling, hitting .296/.377/.481 with four doubles and two home runs. He’s still striking out a bit more than you’d like, but also working walks at an excellent clip. And he’s hitting the ball hard as well with a top exit velocity around 110 MPH, showing the power potential he provides. He remains well-regarded within the Padres system, ranking first in the organization by Baseball America and second by MLB Pipeline.
With a stable veteran like Fermin able to step in whenever needed and a former top prospect in Campusano finally hitting his stride, it does feel like the Padres catching has gone from a major flaw to a strength. The big league club's strength allows Salas to receive the development time he likely needs to become the star the organization still believes he can be. Add in Ty Harvey, lower in the organization, and Lamar King working his way through the system as a potential backup, and it’s easy to feel much better about the Padres' catching situation today than even a few weeks ago.