The San Diego Padres clinched a wild-card playoff berth Thursday night with a 4-2 win over the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The postgame locker room celebration that followed has now drawn public criticism after footage showed teammates dousing 20-year-old catcher Ethan Salas in alcohol during the champagne-and-beer party.
Salas is under the legal drinking age. The team reportedly set up a sparkling cider station to keep him from drinking, and he was not seen consuming any alcohol. But he was still soaked in it by his teammates as part of the celebration, and video of the moment spread quickly online.
The reaction split fans and commentators. Some argued the scene normalizes underage drinking in a professional sports setting.
“So we’re just going to ignore this? Does everyone think it’s funny for an underaged player to be drinking alcohol now? @MLB please do something about this,” one X user wrote.
Another critic questioned the tradition itself: “Never understood why baseball celebrates this way. Be like hockey and celebrate when you win it all not just get a pennant or advance into next round.”
Others dismissed the outrage entirely.
“Did you see him drink it? It was dumped on his head. Chill out,” one person responded. Another wrote, “I think we’re all good with it. Grow up.”
A message seeking comment from the Padres on Friday morning was not immediately returned.
Salas’ rapid rise
Salas signed with San Diego as a teenager in 2023 and moved quickly through the minor leagues. He made his Padres debut on Sept. 2 against the Reds, becoming the youngest player to catch a game in MLB since Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez debuted at 19 in 1991.
In the 15 games since his call-up, Salas has hit .229 with two home runs and five RBIs. Several teammates praised him following Thursday’s playoff-clinching win.
The Padres have three regular-season games left against the Diamondbacks before postseason play officially opens next week.
