Mesa earns 2019 Rawlings Gold Glove Award©
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp center fielder Victor Victor Mesa has been named a 2019 Rawlings Gold Glove Award© recipient for defensive excellence, Minor League Baseball and Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc., announced Monday. Mesa is the first Jacksonville player to win a Gold Glove since catcher George Enright did so in 1978.
A native of Villa Clara, Cuba, Mesa recorded 11 outfield assists and handled all 239 of his total chances to record a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 116 games between Jacksonville and High-A Jupiter. Despite playing in only 76 games defensively with the Hammerheads prior to his promotion to Double-A, Mesa's eight outfield assists finished the season in a tie for the 11th-most in the Florida State League.
Signed by the Miami Marlins as a non-drafted free agent on Oct. 22, 2018, Mesa stole 18 bases in 20 attempts and batted .235/.274/.263 with seven doubles, three triples and 29 RBIs between Jacksonville and Jupiter. He and fellow Marlins farmhand Jesus Sanchez , who earned the honor for right field, marked each of Miami's Minor League Rawlings Gold Glove Award© winners.
Mesa is the fourth Jacksonville player to earn a Gold Glove. First baseman Lou Klimchock won the honor in 1966. Outfielder Rocky Craig took home the award in 1973 and Enright notched the prize at catcher in 1978.
Like the other eight recipients of the Gold Glove, Mesa will receive his award, modeled after the iconic award given to Major League Baseball's top defensive players, during the 2020 season. The 2019 Minor League Baseball recipients of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award© are as follows:
|
Position |
Player |
Minor League Team(s) |
Major League Organization |
|
1B |
Will Craig |
Indianapolis (AAA) |
Pittsburgh |
|
2B |
Nick Madrigal |
Winston-Salem (A+), Birmingham (AA) Charlotte (AAA) |
Chicago (AL) |
|
SS |
Donnie Walton |
Arkansas (AA) |
Seattle |
|
3B |
Ke'Bryan Hayes |
West Virginia (A), Indianapolis (AAA) |
Pittsburgh |
|
LF |
Mark Contreras |
Fort Myers (A+), Pensacola (AA) |
Minnesota |
|
CF |
Victor Victor Mesa |
Jupiter (A+), Jacksonville (AA) |
Miami |
|
RF |
Jesus Sanchez |
Montgomery (AA), Durham (AAA), New Orleans (AAA) |
Tampa Bay, Miami |
|
C |
Jhonny Pereda |
Tennessee (AA) |
Chicago (NL) |
|
P |
Matthew Kent |
Portland (AA), Pawtucket (AAA) |
Boston |
ABOUT THE JUMBO SHRIMP: The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp offer affordable family fun at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. Their inaugural season garnered the Southern League's Don Mincher Organization of the Year, Promotional Trophy and Jimmy Bragan Executive of the Year, won by General Manager Harold Craw. The club added its second Promotional Trophy in three years following the 2019 season. To experience the excitement with the terrific value of ticket and group options, call the Jumbo Shrimp at (904) 358-2846 or visit www.jaxshrimp.com.