By PAUL GOTHAM
An injury cut short Michael Salina‘s 2025 season. The setback did not keep the former Webster Schroeder standout from getting the opportunity to take the next step in his career.
The San Diego Padres selected Salina in the fourth round (130th overall) of the 2025 Major League Baseball draft, Monday morning.
Salina, who started his college career at George Mason University before transferring to St. Bonaventure University for the 2024 season, becomes the fifth former Section V player to be taken in the fourth round of the MLB draft since 2017 joining Brighton’s Ernie Clement (Cleveland, 2017), Canandaigua’s Adam Scott (Cleveland, 2018), Greece Athena’s Casey Saucke II (Chicago White Sox, 2024) and Penfield’s Gage Ziehl (New York Yankees, 2024).
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Salina joins Greece Arcadia’s Steven Klimek (Baltimore, 2015 – 33rd round) as the only former Section V representatives to be drafted out of St. Bonaventure and the first selected by San Diego since Andy Parrino (Brockport) was taken by the Padres out of Le Moyne College in the 2007 in the draft.
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A two-time All-County selection, Salina was part of the 2022 Class A1 team when he posted a 4-2 mark on the mound with a 1.36 ERA. He hurled a complete-game shutout in the A1 semifinals. Later that summer, the right-hander helped Greece Post 468 to the American Legion District 7 and New York State championships.
Salina made 10 appearances (all out of the bullpen) for George Mason in 2023. He struck out 11 and walked 10 over 10.1 innings of work. He posted an ERA of 2.61 and registered his first collegiate save in the Patriots’ 4-3 win over University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES).
He struck out 64 in 58.1 innings of work with St. Bonaventure in 2024. His strikeout numbers ranked in the top ten of the Atlantic 10.
Both Perfect Game and D1 Baseball named Salina as the top MLB prospect in the Atlantic 10.
Salina made four appearances and had a 1-1 record in 2025 before undergoing Tommy John surgery to repair his injured throwing arm. He was 1-1 with 26 strikeouts in 17.1 innings.
San Diego has minor league franchises in Lake Elsinore, CA (A), Fort Wayne, IND (High-A), San Antonio, TX (AA) and El Paso, TX (AAA).
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