The Cuban gardener Víctor Mesa Jr., from the Tampa Bay Rays, wrapped up the week of September 8 to 13 with an offensive performance that makes him a strong candidate for the American League Player of the Week award, as noted Pelota Cubana USA.
In six games, the Havana player achieved a batting average of .556, an on-base percentage of .636, a slugging percentage of 1.278, and an OPS of 1.914, numbers that will be hard to rival among the league's hitters during that period.
Mesa Jr.'s offensive performance was as thorough as it was impressive: 10 hits—two doubles, one triple, and three home runs—eight runs scored, six driven in, and two stolen bases.
This was accompanied by a notable discipline at the plate: four walks received compared to just two strikeouts throughout the week.
Advanced metrics reinforce the magnitude of what has been achieved. The Cuban recorded a wRC+ of 405 —more than four times above the league average— and accumulated 1.0 fWAR in a single week, a number that many players do not reach in a month.
"A complete performance, with contact, discipline, power, and speed, that makes Mesa Jr. a legitimate candidate for the weekly recognition in the American League," summarized Pelota Cubana USA.
The week marked the pinnacle of a streak that Mesa Jr. had been building throughout September. He connected for his 11th home run of the season against the Braves on Wednesday, added his 12th the next day, and on Friday completed three consecutive games with a home run by hitting his 13th against the Astros.
On Saturday, he closed out the week with three hits in five at-bats, three runs scored, and two RBIs in the 14-4 victory over Houston.
CBS Sports reported that the Cuban managed to hit in nine consecutive games, with an OPS of 1.300 in his previous 12 games, along with seven extra-base hits, eight runs batted in, 12 runs scored, and three stolen bases during that stretch.
So far in the 2026 season with Tampa Bay, Mesa Jr. has a batting average of around .257, 13 home runs, nearly 30 RBIs, and nine stolen bases, establishing himself as one of the team's most productive hitters in the second half of the year.
The baseball player, son of the legendary former Cuban player and manager Víctor Mesa Martínez, was acquired by the Rays in February of this year in exchange for prospect Ángel Brachi, after being designated for assignment by the Miami Marlins.
Mesa Jr. made his major league debut in May 2025 and four months later he made history by hitting his first home run in MLB on his birthday, September 8.
The American League Player of the Week award for the period from September 1 to 7 went to rookie catcher Carter Jensen of the Kansas City Royals, who batted .421 with three home runs and an OPS of 1.634. Mesa Jr. is now vying for the award for the following week, with numbers that even surpass those of Jensen.
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