Tampa Bay Rays 25-year-old outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. was the hero for the team with his tiebreaking two-run blast off New York Yankees ace Max Fried in the top of the sixth inning on Wednesday night in Game 3. 

After the game, Mesa reflected on how he had dreamed of the moment of hitting a home run at Yankee Stadium since he defected from Cuba. 

Mesa relished his postseason glory by stating, "That's the moment that you want to live when you're growing up.'' 

Hitting a game-winning postseason home run in the big leagues is a dream that every young baseball fan has. His home run also provided insurance for the Rays as it was the game-winner in a tight 4-3 victory. It also helped eliminate the Yankees from the postseason while officially completing a three-game sweep in the ALDS. 

Thanks to Mesa's heroics, the Rays have advanced to the American League Championship Series (ALCS). It is a huge milestone for the team, considering it completed its first postseason series sweep in franchise history. It's only the third time in franchise history that the Rays have advanced to the ALCS, as they previously did in 2008 and 2020. 

Victor Mesa Jr. has battled his way into the postseason spotlight

Mesa has gone through quite the journey to make his way into the postseason spotlight. He started as a highly touted international free agent who defected from Cuba. 

He was then designated for assignment by the Miami Marlins in February, and the Rays acquired the unproven talent prior to spring training in exchange for a minor leaguer. He underwent early season hurdles in Triple-A Durham, batting through performance struggles and a strained hamstring. 

But nevertheless, he was promoted in May to take over for injured outfielder Jonny DeLuca. While Mesa didn't initially make an impact, he did have a breakthrough in the second half of the season, slashing .288/.338/.555 with nine home runs and 22 RBI. He also finished the regular season batting .260 with 14 home runs across 79 games.