The Tampa Bay Rays got an unexpected jolt at the top of their order in the finale of their three-game road series at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies.
With Yandy Diaz getting the day off, Jonathan Aranda moved into the designated hitter spot and Liam Hicks, the team’s big trade deadline acquisition, started at first base. That left Kevin Cash to make a different call in the leadoff spot, and for the first time this season he turned to Victor Mesa Jr.
Mesa made the move look like a stroke of genius right away. He opened the game with a triple to right field and scored on Aranda’s single to give Tampa Bay an early 1-0 lead.
He wasn’t done there. Mesa came back up in the top of the second with two outs and ripped another triple, this one into deep center field. Aranda couldn’t cash him in that time, striking out swinging, but the damage had already been done in the record book.
According to Ryan Bass on X, Mesa became the first Rays player in franchise history to hit a triple in each of the first two innings of a game. The last MLB player to pull it off was Mookie Betts, who did it on July 13, 2018, against the Toronto Blue Jays.
For Mesa, it was also a pair of firsts in his own career: his first two triples, bringing him to 12 extra-base hits on the season.
The Rays didn’t exactly expect this kind of production from him when the year began, but with Jake Fraley injured, Mesa had a lane to grab the left-handed role in the outfield platoon. He’s done more than fill it. In 151 plate appearances, he has posted a 101 OPS+ and given Tampa Bay real thump against right-handed pitching, slugging .738 in those matchups.
And the value isn’t just coming with the bat. Mesa has also been a plus defender, with a +6 Fielding Run Value that sits in the 87th percentile.
His Range, measured by Outs Above Average, is at +5, though he still hasn’t logged enough innings to qualify for leaderboards. Add in an arm that grades in the 93rd percentile, and Cash has a useful weapon on his hands.
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