Víctor Víctor Mesa may have commanded a $5.25 million signing bonus last October, but there's still a lot of uncertainty surrounding what kind of player he'll become.

Mesa's offensive upside drew mixed reviews from scouts before he signed. He also was coming off a two-year layoff after defecting from Cuba in May 2018 along with his younger brother Victor Jr. (who signed with Miami for $1 million) and he had to adapt to better competition than he ever had faced, not to mention a new culture. As a result, his pro debut this season figured to be challenging.

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It was. Mesa batted a combined .235/.274/.263, making a lot of weak groundball contact with just 10 extra-base hits (no homers) in 116 games between Class A Advanced and Double-A. He did use his well above-average speed to steal 18 bases in 20 attempts and displayed Gold Glove potential in center field, where he has an arm stronger than most at his position.

But Mesa will have to make more offensive impact to eventually make a difference in Miami. He described his first year in pro ball as a learning experience and said that it's important that he got the opportunity to extend it in the Arizona Fall League. He has gotten off to a decent start, going 5-for-14 (all singles) in his first four games with the Salt River Rafters.

Besides the expectations that come with a bonus that set a Marlins record for an amateur position player, Mesa faces other pressures as well. He's trying to live up to his family name -- his father, Victor, was a Cuban baseball legend as an outfielder, compared to Rickey Henderson -- and satisfy the Miami community's thirst for a Cuban star that has gone unquenched since the death of José Fernández.

"We have a big Latin community that's actually rooting for the Latin players to get there very soon," said Mesa, No. 13 on MLB Pipeline's Marlins Top 30, through an interpreter. "I know we have a lot of good Latin players and I know the Cuban community is also expecting for me to play there. I'm working really hard and developing to make that happen."

Marlins hitters in the Fall League

Jose Devers, SS (No. 10 on Marlins Top 30) -- A cousin of Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers, Jose signed with the Yankees for $250,000 in 2016 and came to the Marlins in the Giancarlo Stanton trade a year later. The Dominican missed much of 2019 with a forearm strain, but hit .322/.391/.390 in 47 games across three levels while showing intriguing offensive ability along with plus speed and defense.

Jerar Encarnacion, OF (No. 17) -- Encarnacion has made himself into one of Miami's better position prospects since signing out of the Dominican Republic for $78,000 in 2015. A right fielder with plus raw power and arm strength, he batted .276/.331/.425 with 16 homers in 135 games between two Class A levels this year.

Marlins pitchers in the Fall League

Nick Neidert, RHP (No. 11) -- The Mariners' first pick (second round) in the 2015 Draft as a Georgia high schooler, Neidert came to the Marlins in the Dee Gordon trade two years later. Miami's 2018 Minor League Pitcher of the Year in his first season with his new organization, he missed three months this season following surgery to repair the meniscus in his right knee while logging a 4.67 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 54 innings between three levels (mostly in Triple-A). When he's at his best, he pounds the strike zone with a lively low-90s fastball, an effective curveball and a plus changeup.

Vincenzo Aiello, RHP -- Signed for $1,000 as a 28th-rounder from Oklahoma in 2017, Aiello gets swings and misses with his 93-96 mph fastball and his slider. He recorded a 2.70 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 53 1/3 innings between Class A Advanced and Double-A this season.

C.J. Carter, RHP -- Hitters have difficulty picking up the ball from Carter's low arm slot, which produces 88-90 mph sinkers and sweeping sliders. A 29th-round pick out of Troy in 2018, he posted a 2.30 ERA and a 61:17 K:BB ratio in 54 2/3 innings while rising from Class A to Double-A in his first full year as a pro.

Alex Vesia, LHP -- Vesia has a deceptive delivery, a 92-95 mph fastball that hitters can't seem to catch up to up in the strike zone and an effective changeup. In his first full pro season after the Marlins made him a 17th-round pick out of Cal State East Bay a year ago, he moved from Class A to Double-A and had a 1.76 ERA, .187 opponents batting average and 100:19 K:BB ratio in 66 2/3 innings.