Ethan Salas to Set Record as Youngest Postseason Catcher in Game 2 Start

At 20 years old, Ethan Salas will bat seventh and catch for the San Diego Padres in Wednesday's matchup against the Chicago Cubs.

Ethan Salas is scheduled to start at catcher and bat seventh for the San Diego Padres in Wednesday night's Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Chicago Cubs. At 20 years old, Salas will become the youngest player in Major League Baseball history to catch in a postseason game, surpassing Bob Didier, who was 20 years and 230 days old during the 1969 NLCS. Manager Craig Stammen announced the lineup at Petco Park for the matchup against Cubs right-hander Kevin Gausman.

Salas, a left-handed hitter, earned the start following a regular-season finish where he went 10-for-24 at the plate. On Sept. 16, he became the youngest catcher to record a multi-homer game. He will be paired with veteran pitcher Nick Pivetta for his playoff debut. The Padres enter the contest leading the series 1-0 after an 8-0 victory in the opener, having won 18 of their last 21 games overall.

Since being called up on Sept. 1, Salas has also become the youngest player to appear in the postseason for the San Diego franchise. The former international free agent, signed for a $5.6 million bonus in 2023, is the youngest player to catch a major league game since Iván Rodríguez in 1991. A victory on Wednesday would secure the Padres a trip to Milwaukee for the division series starting this weekend.