The greatest MLB players from Mexico, past and present

Bobby Avila was the American League batting champion in 1954, when he hit .341 for the Cleveland Indians and also finished third in AL MVP voting. The Veracruz native enjoyed an 11-year MLB career, becoming a the three-time All-Star second baseman. He was also a pivotal presence for Mexican baseball, becoming commissioner of the Mexican Baseball League after his retirement in 1959. 

One of the famed "Blake Street Bombers" of the early days of the Colorado Rockies, Castilla is arguably the greatest Mexican-born hitter of all-time. Castilla had five seasons of 100+ RBI and led the NL with 131 in 2004. He also slugged 320 career home runs, with three consecutive 40 homer seasons from 1996-98.

One the premier defenders on the hot corner of his era, Chavez won six straight Gold Gloves during a 13-year stint with Oakland A’s. Between 2001 and 2005, to go along with his sterling defensive play, the Los Angeles native only had one year in which he failed to produce both 25 homers and 100 RBI. Injuries sabotaged much of his career after turning 30, but he still managed to drive in over 900 runs in his career.

The fact that De La Rosa won 16 games while making Coors Field his home not once, but twice in his career is more than worth the praise to be mentioned amongst the best of his countrymen. De La Rosa stands as the Rockies’ all-time leader in wins (86) and strikeouts (985), and is beginning to craft a solid late career niche as a left-handed reliever as well.

After beginning his professional career at age 23 in Mexico, the Hermosillo native made his Major League debut in 1999 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The biggest moment of his seven-year MLB stint was a two-run homer against Tom Glavine in Game 5 of the 2001 NLCS, which ended up being a decisive blow in what was eventually a World Series-winning run. Durazo’s best year came in 2004, when he hit 22 homers and drove in 88 for the Oakland A’s.

The effective righty has spent time in three different clubs during his career, making a successful shift from the bullpen to starting staff in 2012. The Sonora, Mexico native has been at his best since joining the Toronto Blue Jays, where he became an All-Star in 2016. Across a two-year span from 2015-16, Estrada allowed the fewest hits per nine innings in the American League at 6.75 over 57 starts.

Gallardo moved from Mexico to Texas at age four, and eventually became a second-round pick for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2004. He quickly became one of the top strikeout pitchers in the National League upon arrival, averaging 204 Ks per year between 2009 and 2012. During his eight years with the Brewers, he won 89 games and was an All-Star in 2010.

The southpaw Garcia won 13 games in 2011, picking up a World Series ring with the St. Louis Cardinals in the process. Although injuries have kept him from hitting his full potential, he has posted two seasons with an ERA under 3.00, further proving why he has been referred to as one of the toughest to hit lefties in the game when at his best.

Famously named as a juxtaposition of his father Ramon, who hailed from Mexico, Garciaparra is one of the great pure hitters of the last 25 years. Garciaparra won back-to-back AL batting titles in 1999 and 2000, hitting .357 and .372, respectively. Injuries deeply cut into his productivity by his 30^th birthday, but the six-time All-Star and his .372 average stands as the highest by a right-handed hitter since World War II.

Although he has never pitched for more than four years at any of his five stops throughout his 12-year Major League career, Garza has always been a highly sought-after talent. In 2008, he was named ALCS MVP for the Tampa Bay Rays, after winning two starts and posting a 1.38 ERA. In 2010, he threw a no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers, facing the minimum 27 batters required in the process.

Born in the U.S., Gonzalez spent many of his formative years living in Tijuana. He returned to the States in 1990 and was drafted No. 1 overall by the Florida Marlins in the 2000 MLB Draft. Gonzalez became one of the most consistent hitters in the game over the last 15 years, running up over 2,000 hits, 300 home runs and 1,100 RBI. Gonzo drove in at least 90 runs in 10 straight years starting in 2007.

Higuera won 69 games over his first four seasons, finishing second in both AL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young voting for the Milwaukee Brewers. He also worked 44 complete games and 10 shutouts over the timespan as well. A string of unfortunate injuries — mainly a torn rotator cuff — curbed what could have been an even more brilliant career for Higuera. He was inducted into the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011.

Over a career that spanned 14 years, the journeyman Loaiza suited up for eight different clubs and won 126 games. His peak came in 2003, when he went 21-9 with a 2.90 ERA and led the AL with 207 strikeouts. He was named starting pitcher for the AL All-Star team that year and his 21 victories tied Fernando Valenzuela’s 1986 mark for the most wins in a season by a Mexican pitcher.

The long-time face of the franchise for the Tampa Bay Rays until a trade to the Giants after the 2017 season, Longoria’s background is split between Mexican and Ukrainian descent. The third baseman is the Rays franchise leader in over 15 categories and is a three-time Gold Glove winner. Longoria has four 30 homer seasons to his credit, along with three years of 40+ doubles.

Hailing from Tecamachalco, this relief specialist rang up 93 career saves over 910 career innings and 11 seasons, mostly spent with the Detroit Tigers. Lopez finished in the top 10 of AL Cy Young voting in 1979 and was an All-Star in 1983. He finished with three seasons of double-digit wins as a reliever.

Over the course of a 16-year career, spent mostly with the Chicago White Sox, Orta became a two-time All-Star. His 79 stolen bases are the most of any Mexican player in history. However, the signature moment of Orta’s career came during the 1985 World Series, when he was called safe at first base on the controversial call by Don Denkinger, during a play where he was clearly out.

Although only 23, Osuna is already a four-year MLB vet and established as one of the top closers in the American League. He recorded his 100^th career save early in 2018 and has a career WHIP beneath 1.00. Osuna made his All-Star debut in 2017 and led the AL with 58 games finished.

A native of Culicán, Perez initially made his mark in the majors as a much-hyped prospect with the Padres and Pirates. Perez was a big strikeout pitcher early in his career, before eventually settling into a role as a relief specialist, making at least 50 appearances per year between 2013-2017. He has also been a member of each World Baseball Classic roster for Mexico.

A two-time All-Star, Quentin enjoyed some prodigious power seasons throughout his nine-year career. He topped 20 home runs in four straight years from 2008-2011, with his 36 homer, 100 RBI campaign in ’08 standing as his career-best performance. He was also noted for a frequency in which he was hit by pitches, getting tagged over 20 times in four different seasons.

Over a 17-year career, Rodriguez entrenched himself as a strong defensive presence on the hot corner. Rodriguez broke into the majors at age 19 with the Washington Nationals, but had his best years with the Detroit Tigers, with whom he picked up a Gold Glove in 1976. As a member of the Yankees in 1981, he hit .417 in his lone World Series appearance.

Romo was famously a member of Bruce Bochy’s lethal bullpen collection that won three World Series between 2010 and 2014. Armed with a lethal slider, Romo has 84 career saves, 38 of which came in 2013 when he was an NL All-Star. In World Series play, he has issued six scoreless innings and compiled saves in three of four victories over the Tigers in 2012.

No Mexican player has closed out more games than Soria’s 208 (and counting). Over the first five years of his career, Soria was one of the most prolific and consistent closers in the game, averaging 32 saves a year. Although Tommy John surgery slowed his pace some, Soria remains a well-regarded relief option.

Valdez came blazing out of the gates in his career, posting a 3.03 ERA over his first four years with the Dodgers. Breaking in at age 20, Valdez posted double digits in victories over his first four full seasons and won struck out 173, while winning 15 games in his sophomore season. Known as ‘The Rocket’ in Mexico, Valdez had 10 complete games and five shutouts by his 25^th birthday.

There have been few sensations seen in the sport’s history like what ‘Fernandomania’ became in the summer of 1981. A 21-year-old Valenzuela won his first eight starts, five of which were shutouts, and would go on to become the only pitcher to win Rookie of the Year and Cy Young in the same season. Valenzuela was an All-Star his first six seasons and finished in the top five of NL Cy Young voting in four of those years. Over a 17-year career, he would win 173 games and throw a no-hitter in 1990.

The exploits of the Splendid Splinter at the plate are the definition of legendary lore and need no introduction. But what is often overlooked is his Mexican heritage, which comes from his mother May Venzor, who hailed from El Paso, Texas. The San Diego native learned to play the game from his mother’s side of the family initially, whom had pro experience in the preceding decades. Citing the difficulties of the times, Williams once said that “If I had my mother’s name, there is no doubt I would have run into problems in those days, [considering] the prejudices people had in southern California.”