The Cuban player Víctor Mesa Jr. is on fire. The 25-year-old Cuban outfielder hit his thirteenth home run of the season on Friday with the Tampa Bay Rays, completing a streak of home runs in three consecutive games that establishes him as one of the standout offensive players on the team in 2026.
The hit came against the Houston Astros in the top of the sixth inning, facing pitcher Ethan Pecko. It was a solo home run that tied the game 1-1, although the Rays were unable to hold the lead: Houston scored three runs in the eighth inning and won the game 3-1. Mesa Jr. ended the night with a line of 1-2, one walk, and one stolen base.
The Cuban had also hit home runs on Wednesday and Thursday, the latter as a pinch hitter against the Atlanta Braves. The streak of three home runs in consecutive games adds to another notable statistic: seven consecutive games with a hit.
With 13 home runs in the regular season, Mesa Jr. ties for fourth place in the all-time list for rookies with the most home runs in a campaign with the Rays, matching Damon Hollins (2005), Will Myers (2013), and Delmon Young (2007). Ahead of him on that list are Steven Souza Jr. (16, in 2015), Brandon Lowe (17, in 2019), fellow Cuban Randy Arozarena (20, in 2021), Jonny Gomes (21, in 2005), and the all-time leader Evan Longoria, with 27 in 2008.
The player arrived in Tampa Bay on February 6 of this year, when the Miami Marlins designated him for assignment and the Rays acquired him in exchange for the infielder prospect Ángel Brachi. He was initially activated with the Triple-A affiliate Durham Bulls, where he demonstrated outstanding performance before earning a spot on the active roster.
His season has not been without challenges: in August, he suffered a strain in his left hamstring that landed him on the injured list, but he returned to the team and quickly resumed his performance. His ninth home run of the season, hit on August 9 against Seattle, was a 412-foot shot that heralded the current streak.
Mesa Jr. was born in Havana on September 8, 2001, and is the son of the legendary baseball player Víctor Mesa, Olympic champion in Barcelona 1992. He defected from Cuba in May 2018 along with his brother Víctor Víctor Mesa, and both signed with the Marlins that same October. He made his Major League debut on May 26, 2025, and on his 24th birthday, he hit his first home run in MLB against the Nationals, becoming the seventh player in history to achieve that milestone on the same day as his birth.
Regarding the weight of his surname, Mesa Jr. is clear about it: "I know what my dad did, but now it's my moment and my turn."
Filed under: