The Cuban baseball player Víctor Mesa Jr. starred in one of his best games with the Tampa Bay Rays this Wednesday, hitting his 11th home run of the 2026 season against the Atlanta Braves, putting the team on the scoreboard with a hit that left no doubt from the moment of contact.
The 25-year-old Cuban player hit a fly ball to right-center in the second inning with a 105.4 mph exit velocity, an angle of 28 degrees, and a distance of 414 feet to put Tampa Bay ahead 1-0. The game commentators didn't hold back their praise: "It was a tee shot. No doubt about it," they remarked after the hit.
The Rays finished dominating the Braves 7-2, with Mesa Jr. ending the night with a line of two hits in three at-bats, two runs scored, and one RBI.
But the performance of the Habanero was not limited to the plate. According to specialized journalist Francys Romero, Mesa Jr. leads the Tampa Bay outfielders in defensive runs saved during the 2026 campaign, with nine, making him a valuable asset in both aspects of the game. "He has been one of the surprises this season with contributions on both sides of the game," Romero emphasized.
His offensive numbers as of Wednesday reflect a solid season: 11 home runs, an OPS of .758, and a batting average of .239, figures that solidify his place on the active roster of the Rays.
The performance is even more remarkable considering that Mesa Jr. just returned on September 1, after recovering from a left hamstring strain that kept him out since August 19. During his rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Durham, he even hit a home run, a sign that he was back in shape and in rhythm.
The Cuban arrived in Tampa Bay in February 2026 after the Miami Marlins designated him for assignment. The Rays acquired him in exchange for infielder prospect Ángel Brachi, activated him with Durham on March 11, and called him up to the Major Leagues on May 24, where he has remained a positive surprise of the season.
Son of the legendary Cuban baseball player Víctor Mesa and brother of Víctor Víctor Mesa, the young outfielder left Cuba with his family in 2018 and signed with Miami that same year. He made his Major League debut on May 26, 2025, with the Marlins, and hit his first home run in MLB on September 9, 2025, exactly one year before this new star performance.
With the Rays still in the running for postseason positions, Mesa Jr. arrives at just the right moment to prove that his presence on the roster was no small gamble.
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