When the starting lineup for the Tampa Bay Rays was announced for the finale in their three-game set on the road at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies, a lot of people were surprised.It wasn’t designated hitter Yandy Diaz in the leadoff spot. He was being given the day off, with Jonathan Aranda, who normally plays first base, taking over as the designated hitter. Liam Hicks, the team’s big trade deadline acquisition for the lineup, was at first base.With Diaz not in the lineup, someone else had to be inserted into the leadoff spot. Out of the 114 games the team has played, Diaz has held that spot 78 times. For the first time this season, manager Kevin Cash decided to go with outfielder Victor Mesa Jr.It was a shakeup that paid immediate dividends, with the young outfielder making franchise history in the process. He started the game off with a triple to right field, coming around to score on Aranda’s single to stake the team to an early 1-0 lead.Victor Mesa Jr. makes Rays history with back-to-back triplesAug 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. (25) sacrifice bunt RBI in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectMesa would come up to bat again in the top of the second inning, this time with two outs. Just like the first at-bat, he hit another triple, this time hitting it to deep center field. Unfortunately, Aranda wasn’t able to bring him in this time, as he struck out swinging.But franchise history was made. As shared by Ryan Bass on X, he became the first Rays player in franchise history to hit a triple in each of the first two innings of a game. The last time anyone in baseball accomplished that feat was Mookie Betts on July 13, 2018, against the Toronto Blue Jays.It was the first two triples of Mesa’s career, giving him 12 extra-base hits on the season. He wasn’t expected to have such a prominent role with Tampa Bay this season, but with Jake Fraley injured, someone else had to step up as the left-handed hitter in the outfielder platoon.He was given a chance and has run with the opportunity. Mesa has more than held his own at the Big League level with a 101 OPS+ across 151 plate appearances. He has provided a real source of power for the team with a slugging percentage of .738 against right-handed pitching.Victor Mesa Jr. is the first player in Rays franchise history to hit two triples in the first two innings of a game.First MLB player to do that since the Red Sox's Mookie Betts on July 13, 2018 vs the Toronto Blue Jays.— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) August 5, 2026While the power production at the plate has put him in the team’s record books, he has found other ways to be impactful on the field. He is a stellar defender, with a +6 Fielding Run Value, which is in the 87th percentile.His Range (Outs Above Average) is also elite at +5, but he has not played enough innings to qualify for leaderboards yet. To top it off, he has an incredibly strong arm, with his arm strength being in the 93rd percentile.That all culminates in a great piece off the bench for Cash to deploy.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow