LOW-A
The Padres assigned Salas to Low-A Lake Elsinore this season when he was just 16 years old, making him the first player that age to appear in the full-season minor leagues since Julio Urias in 2013.
Salas, who signed in January and bypassed Rookie ball entirely, reached base in seven of his first eight plate appearances, turned 17 two days after his arrival and never slowed down.
Salas hit .267/.350/.487 with nine home runs and 35 RBIS in 48 games for Lake Elsinore before earning a promotion to High-A Fort Wayne-and eventually Double-A San Antonio in late August.
Beyond the numbers, the Venezuelan catcher showed an uncanny knowledge of the strike zone and remarkable poise in the batter's box that belied his youth.
Salas laid off tantalizingly close pitches, worked counts like a season veteran and made consistent contact with a direct, fluid, lefthanded swing.
After hitting into some bad luck early, Salas hit 312/.359/.633 with eight home runs in his final 26 games with the Storm before being promoted.
"At 17 you're usually writing a high school follow report on a guy," one rival evaluator said. "I haven't seen a newly-turned 17-year-old in full-season who really looks like he belongs.
"He's taking 97 (mph) up in the zone and just crushed it for a home run. He's got a chance to be pretty damn good."
Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av Baseball America.
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Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av Baseball America.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Wood Has Towering Upside- Nationals rookie James Wood also stands 6-foot-7 and also has game-changing power.
Aaron Judge and Oneil Cruz are 6-foot7 sluggers who stand out for their power in this year’s MLB Best Tools voting. Wood spent half of this season with Triple-A Rochester before making his MLB debut on July 1. While he was in the International League, he captured managers’ attention. Wood unanimously won Best Power Prospect and also claimed Most Exciting Player in a survey of league skippers. Wood hit .353/.463/.595 with 10 home runs in 52 games for Rochester. His .242 isolated slugging was the best for a player 21 or younger at Triple-A this season.
ROAD BLOCK?
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A revamped and rejuvenated farm system has Kansas City ready to rebound
SUMMER STANDOUTS
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FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
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IN WITH THE NEW
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WALCOTT BLASTS OFF
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A RECORD NIGHT FOR COLLEGIANS
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When negotiating the 2022 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the MLB Players Association prioritized the earning power of young major league players, especially young stars.
