The son of Victor Mesa, the Cuban equivalent of Rickey Henderson, Victor Jr. led Cuba's 18-and-under league in all three slash stats (.440/.560/.667) at age 16 before defecting with his older brother Victor Victor in May 2018. The Marlins signed them both five months later, with Victor Victor getting $5.25 million but never hitting before his career topped out in Triple-A and Victor Jr. receiving $1 million. The latter slashed .259/.319/.430 in Triple-A at age 22 last season before a July back injury ended his season prematurely.
Once projected as a hit-over-power guy, Mesa has reversed that profile since arriving in Double-A in 2023, looking to launch balls to his pull side with a more aggressive and uphill left-handed stroke. His chase rate jumped to an untenable 41 percent last year, mitigating his feel for the barrel and leading to suboptimal contact when he expands the zone. He is driving the ball more often and has the bat speed and strength to produce 20 homers annually. Interestingly, he has been much more productive against same-side pitchers during the last two seasons.
Growing up around the game, Mesa developed a high baseball IQ and plays much quicker than his average speed. He's an opportunistic baserunner if not much of a basestealer, and he chases down balls in center field with smart reads and routes. He's a plus defender with the solid arm strength to play anywhere in the outfield.
The son of legendary Cuban outfielder Victor Mesa, Victor Jr. topped Cuba's 18-and-under league in all three slash stats (.440/.560/.667) in his final season before defecting with his older brother Victor Victor in May 2018. They signed with the Marlins five months later, with Victor Victor ($5.25 million) getting the much larger bonus, but Victor Jr. ($1 million) emerging as the much better prospect. He spent 2023 in Double-A at age 21 and set a career high with 18 homers after going deep just 11 times in three previous pro seasons.
Mesa generates easy bat speed with his left-handed stroke, and while he's an aggressive hitter, he distributes the ball to all fields. He has good feel for the barrel but chases pitches so frequently that he may be an average hitter at best. He did a better job of tapping into his raw power last season after adding strength and could deliver 20 homers per year.
Mesa developed a high baseball IQ while growing up around the game and plays faster than his average speed on the bases and in center field. He stole a career-best 16 bases in 19 attempts last season and gets to balls in the outfield with quality reads and routes. He exhibits plus range with solid arm strength in center and easily can handle all three outfield spots.
Mesa led Cuba's 18-and-under league in batting (.440), on-base percentage (.560) and slugging (.667) in his final season before defecting along with older brother Victor Victor in May 2018. The sons of legendary Cuban outfielder Victor Mesa, they signed with the Marlins five months later, with Victor Victor receiving $5.25 million and Victor Jr. getting $1 million. The latter has shown much more offensive promise while being consistently young for his leagues, playing in High-A and the Arizona Fall League last year at age 20.
A left-handed hitter, Mesa has one of the sweetest swings and some of the best feel for the barrel among Miami farmhands. He controls the strike zone, uses the entire field and makes consistent contact, but he needs to add muscle so he can provide more impact. He'll probably always be a hit-over-power guy, but he could swat 15-20 homers per season if he gets stronger and drives balls in the air more regularly.
Mesa's high baseball IQ helps him play quicker than his average speed. He runs the bases aggressively and uses good reads and routes to enhance his range in center field. He has a chance to stick in center, and his solid arm strength works anywhere in the outfield.
Though older brother Victor Victor Mesa's $5.25 million bonus dwarfed his $1 million when they signed with the Marlins in 2018, Victor Jr. has far surpassed his sibling as a prospect. While Victor Victor is more athletic along the lines of their father, legendary Cuban outfielder Victor Mesa, Victor Jr. has the potential to make much more of an impact with the bat. He led Cuba's 18-and-under league in hitting (.440), on-base percentage (.560) and slugging (.667) in his final season before defecting in May 2018. He held his own as a 19-year-old in Low-A last season.
A natural hitter, Mesa has one of the smoothest left-handed swings and some of the best bat-to-ball skills in the system. He makes consistent hard contact and controls the strike zone reasonably well, and the next step will be to get stronger so he can do more damage. He cleaned up his lower-half mechanics and began to turn on more pitches last season, and he could have 15- to 20-homer power if he can make some adjustments to drive balls in the air more regularly.
Mesa plays faster than his average speed on the bases and in center field. His fine instincts give him a chance to remain in center, and his solid arm strength enables him to fit anywhere in the outfield. Besides his hitting ability, the Marlins also love his work ethic and high baseball IQ.
When the sons of legendary Cuban outfielder Victor Mesa signed with Marlins in October 2018, their bonuses reflected the perception that Victor Victor ($5.25 million) was a far superior prospect to Victor Jr. ($1 million). But the younger Victor Jr. has eclipsed his more athletic brother thus far in pro ball, showing far more ability to make an impact at the plate. After batting .284/.366/.398 as a 17-year-old making his pro debut in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2019, he was one of the more impressive hitters at Miami's instructional league program last fall.
Mesa topped Cuba's 18-and-under league in hitting (.440), on-base percentage (.560) and slugging (.667) in his final season before defecting in May 2018, and his advanced bat-to-ball skills immediately became apparent in the United States. A natural hitter with a fluid left-handed stroke, he has good feel for managing the strike zone and using the entire field. He doesn't have a ton of raw power but his ability to make hard contact should allow him to produce 15-20 homers annually once he adds strength and learns to drive more balls in the air.
Mesa's high baseball IQ allows him to play quicker than his average speed on the bases and in the outfield. While he spent most of his debut in center field, he may not be quite fast enough to play there regularly at higher levels. He profiles better defensively as a right fielder with solid range and arm, and he should provide enough offense to fit a corner profile.
When the sons of legendary Cuban center fielder Victor Mesa defected from the island in May 2018, Victor Victor was considered a superior prospect to Victor Jr. Their signing bonuses that October reflected that perception, with Victor Victor receiving $5.25 million and Victor Jr. getting $1 million, but the latter eclipsed his older and more athletic brother during their 2019 debuts. He batted .284/.366/.398 as a 17-year-old in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League.
Mesa led Cuba's 18-and-under league in hitting (.440), on-base percentage (.560) and slugging (.667) in his final season before defecting, and his fluid left-handed swing and advanced bat-to-ball skills immediately translated to the United States. He works counts and manages the strike zone better than most teenagers. His feel for the barrel and ability to backspin balls has the Marlins believing he might develop average power as he gets stronger and drives the ball in the air more often.
Mesa has average speed and the instincts to play faster than that on the bases and in the outfield. He spent most of his pro debut in center field, though he probably lacks the quickness to play there regularly at the highest levels. He's more likely to wind up in right field, where he can be a solid defender with arm strength to match.
These run values are leveraged, meaning the base/out situation at the time of the event does impact the run value (thus introducing context outside the batter's own contribution).
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift: three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about how positioning is defined here
