Ethan Salas: Back From the Dead

Ethan Salas was off the Top 100 entirely heading into 2026. A back injury wiped out nearly all of his 2025 season. The shine had faded. The hype had moved on.

He did not care.

Salas is 19 years old and slashing .298/.361/.482 at Double-A San Antonio with six home runs in 38 games. He has 24 RBIs and 15 walks against just 30 strikeouts. He is the second-youngest player in the Texas League. The power scouts always questioned is showing up. The approach is locked in.

This is the same player who signed for $5.6 million at 16 and hit a walk-off double in his first Double-A at-bat at 17. The pedigree was never gone. The results just needed time to catch up.

The Rising Star

Franklin Arias, SS, Portland Sea Dogs (Double-A, Red Sox)

Arias jumped from No. 50 to No. 11 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 this season and he has earned every bit of it. The 20-year-old Venezuelan shortstop is slashing .346/.422/.662 with 11 home runs in 36 games at Double-A Portland, a power surge nobody saw coming from a player who had never hit more than nine in a full season.

Under the Radar

Wei-En Lin, LHP, Midland RockHounds (Double-A, Athletics)

Lin became the first Taiwanese player on a Top 100 list since 2008 when Baseball America added him this month. He earned it. The 20-year-old left-hander struck out 10 batters over six innings in a recent start for Midland, and he is attacking the strike zone with a four-pitch mix that has Double-A hitters consistently off-balance. He is currently on the 7-day IL but had been one of the best arms in the Texas League before that. Remember the name.

Worth Watching

Sean Keys, 3B/1B, New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Double-A, Blue Jays)

Keys jumped straight from High-A to Double-A this year and has not skipped a beat. The 22-year-old is slashing .285/.417/.555 with 10 home runs and 24 walks in 40 games at New Hampshire. That .417 on-base percentage tells you everything. He knows how to hit and he knows how to take a walk. Keep an eye on him.

Kade Anderson, LHP | Arkansas Travelers to Triple-A Tacoma (Mariners)

Anderson was the third overall pick in the 2025 draft out of LSU. Seattle sent him straight to Double-A and he has not flinched. In eight starts, he is 3-0 with a 1.63 ERA, a 0.80 WHIP, and 58 strikeouts in 38.2 innings. Hitters are batting .179 against him. The stuff is legitimate and the command has been sharper than anyone expected this early in his pro career. A Triple-A promotion is coming within weeks. If Seattle catches an injury this summer, Anderson will not be far behind.

Stop Sleeping on What Is Happening in Double-A This Year

Every spring, people tune into prospect content around draft season or when a guy gets called up. They check in for the highlights and move on. That is the wrong way to follow this game.

This is the level where the secrets live. The guy who becomes your favorite player in three years is suiting up in a half-empty stadium in Pensacola or Portland or Bowie right now. Nobody is talking about him on the big shows. Nobody is putting him in a highlight reel. But he is out there, every night, figuring out how to hit a breaking ball at 20 years old, and that process is worth watching. Double-A is the most honest level in baseball. You cannot fake it here. That is exactly why we built this.

Double Dip is a Below the Show publication. Published every Tuesday. Forward this to a friend who follows prospects closely.