Why Victor Mesa Jr could finally make an impact on the Miami Marlins in 2025

The Miami Marlins have a strange void in the depth chart as they prepare for the 2025 MLB season. Fangraphs currently has prized outfielder Kyle Stowers projected as the club's everyday centerfielder. Unfortunately, the former Oriole's defensive skillset is much better suited for a corner outfield spot.

In limited major-league action in 2024, Stowers' fielding metrics were unimpressive. His arm strength, his best attribute, ranked in the 73rd percentile. However, his below-average fielding range makes him a liability in one of the most important defensive positions.

Neither Griffin Conine nor Jesus Sanchez represent a tangible upgrade. This begs the question: Where will the Marlins turn to find a shortstop?

Perhaps the club could consider veteran Harrison Bader. However, few real options exist in a thin free agency pool.

This represents a real opportunity for longtime Marlins prospect Victor Mesa Jr to finally make an on-field impact on the major league club. Mesa and his older brother Victor Victor Mesa were both noteworthy international talents when they signed with the Marlins in 2018.

While the older of the two quickly fizzled out, the younger Mesa has established himself as an interesting prospect in Miami's system. He set career-highs with 18 home runs and 16 steals during his time in Double-A in 2023.

Mesa's most valuable skills include his plus-grade defense and his high baseball IQ. The prospect has shown proficiency at all three outfield positions, with him drawing Gold Glove-level praise from former manager Skip Schumaker. His impressive feel for the game was likely passed down from his father, MLB legend Victor Mesa.

This profile could make Mesa an in-house option to provide the major-league roster with a much-needed glove in centerfield. He has the defensive upside of the 2024 fill-in, Cristian Pache. While his hitting limitations made the Pache experiment a bust, Mesa's higher-upside bat could allow him to fill the role in a much more competent fashion.

As a floor, Mesa could step in for the season to take defensive pressure off Stowers and allow him to develop at his more natural position. Pinch-hitting and running duties would also be a possibility.

However, Mesa's ceiling is much higher. If the former top prospect can capitalize on his skills and adjust well to the majors, he could represent a long-term solution to Miami's centerfield void.

If he is indeed able to play Gold-Glove caliber defense (or something in that realm) while adding 12-15 home runs and 10-15 steals, Mesa Jr could become a comparable player to the aforementioned Harrison Bader. At just 23 years old, he has a path to becoming a pillar of Miami's rebuild in 2025 and beyond.