From Cuba to the Big Leagues: Victor Mederos’ Appreciation for the Game 

Two years ago this August, the Los Angeles Angels announced the signing of a promising young talent, Victor Mederos. For the Cuban-born pitcher, it was a dream come true and the culmination of years of hard work and perseverance.

His baseball journey had a different start than many of his peers. Growing up in Cuba, resources were scarce. His older brother played a little, but Mederos did not have the opportunity to play the game until his family moved to the United States.

Moving to the United States changed everything for him. In Miami, Florida, Mederos found ample opportunities to play baseball, and this transition deepened his appreciation for the game. Day in and day out, he committed to doing what he loved, grateful for every opportunity.

“My brother had to grow up a lot quicker than he wanted to, just because my dad had left Cuba to come to the United States when I was two months old,” Mederos said. “So, my brother was basically my dad growing up and has been somebody I’ve always looked up to. Mom has been the hardest working person I know. She always taught me right from wrong and has always led me on the right path and gives me great advice until now, she's my rock.”

Mederos began his college career at the University of Miami, a longtime dream of his as a hometown kid. When things didn't work out as expected, he transferred to Oklahoma State University, where he played the 2022 season.

“It was hard because it didn’t work out [in Miami],” Mederos said. “But I saw it as a blessing from God that I was able to go to a place where I had a good coaching staff and a great group of guys that really taught me a lot about the game.”

Mederos made his Major League debut with the Angels in 2023 against the Arizona Diamondbacks and is currently on the 40-man roster.

“It means a lot, Mederos said. “Signing in ‘22 and being able to make it to the big leagues in ‘23, being able to see that the organization has that confidence in me and that push that they give me.”

Mederos emphasizes controlling what he can, both on and off the field. One example is his hobby of cutting hair, particularly for his teammates. This helps him relax as well as connect with teammates on a personal level, providing a sense of freedom and trust that translates onto the field for practices and games.

“I love that players are able to sit in the chair and just talk about anything that’s going on in their life or not talk about anything,” Mederos said. “It’s fun because you have your own style, every time somebody sits in the chair it’s a blank page, so you can create what you want. The fact that they are able to trust me with their haircut means a lot.”

During his time with the Trash Pandas, he has experienced a sense of home as he feels he’s part of an organization that offers a support system in which the players are set up for success.

“We have people from all over the United States and all over the world in the clubhouse, and we all have a sense of home here at the Trash Pandas just because of how special they make it for us,” Mederos said. “I’m a big small things type of guy. They do all the small things right.”

To him, the most beautiful aspect of baseball is the diversity of stories each player brings. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and coming together as a team with those differences is special.

“I would say in this game I think the most precious, most important, and I would say what makes it so beautiful is everybody has a different story,” Mederos said. “So everybody that you see whether it is playing little league, playing big league, whatever it is, everybody comes from a different place, a different household, different parents, different living, different way they got brought up, where they were born, so being able to come as a team and play together while having all the differences I feel like is what makes it special for me.”