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Pitcher Cristian Mata was the lone inductee for the Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 2025 with a debut at 89.0%. Two other debuting pitchers barely missed the 66% requirement with Adrian Estrella at 65.0% and Mateo Ramirez at 62.9%. SP Secretario Sanz was the best returner with 54.1% on his eighth ballot. 1B Hasan Alvizo was the best position player with a 54.1% debut. Also cracking 50% was SP Montell Donald with 53.0% on his third go and LF Hugo Garcia with 50.9% with his third ballot.



The lone player dropped after ten tries was RF Enrique Mendoza, who peaked at only 13.6% but managed to survive to a 5.7% tenth ballot. Mendoza was a nice leadoff man who led in hits thrice and had a batting title. However, his 18-year career had forays to Africa and Europe that greatly lowered his CABA tallies.

Mendoza had 1672 hits, 719 runs, 277 doubles, 146 triples, 35 home runs, 397 RBI, 615 stolen bases, a .349/.367/.489 slash, 150 wRC+, and 36.9 WAR. He does notably rank 16^th in batting average as of 2037 among CABA hitters with 3000+ plate appearances. However, few disagreed that he was a “Hall of Pretty Good” type guy.



Cristian Mata – Starting Pitcher – Nicaragua Navigators – 89.0% First Ballot

Cristian Mata was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Las Guias Oriente, a town of about 1,200 people on Panama’s southern coast. Mata was a fireballer with great stuff, movement, and control. His 99-101 mph cutter was world class and was often countered by an excellent forkball. Mata also had a good curveball and a rarely seen changeup, leading to an extreme groundball tendency. Few aces in his era splintered more opponent bats.

Mata’s stamina was considered weak relative to most CABA aces, but he stayed healthy in his 20s and early 30s to still deliver solid innings. He had a strong pickoff move and was considered a solid defensive pitcher. Mata was a fan favorite and one of the hardest working guys in the game. He became absolutely adored in Nicaragua, where he spent his entire pro career.

Despite growing up in a small town in Panama, Mata was tall and threw hard even as a teenager. That caught the eye of a scout from nearby Nicaragua who gave him a developmental deal in December 2001. Mata spent four full years in the Navigators’ academy and was brought up at age 21 in 2006. He struggled as a rookie in a split starter/relief role with a lousy 5.52 ERA. Mata fared much better in year two with a 3.76 ERA and earned a full-time rotation slot after that.

From 2008-17, Mata was worth 5+ WAR each season. On May 24, 2008, Mata tossed a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts against Havana. He took third in Pitcher of the Year voting and helped Nicaragua end a 17-year playoff drought. They were the second wild card, but went on a surprise run and won the Caribbean League, eventually losing to Hermosillo in the CABA Championship. In 32.1 playoff innings, Mata had a 2.23 ERA, 37 strikeouts, and 1.2 WAR.

Mata was second in 2009’s Pitcher of the Year voting and signed a six-year, $52,660,000 extension in the offseason. Nicaragua became a regular contender and had the top seed in 2009, 2010, and 2011. However, each year they were denied in the CLCS. The Navigators would narrowly miss the playoffs in 2012 and 2013. Mata was iffy in the 2009 playoffs, but was solid in both 2010 and 2011.

He took third in 2011’s Pitcher of the Year voting, second in 2012, second in 2013, and second in 2014. Mata ultimately never won the top honor despite leading the Caribbean in WAR from 2012-14. He led with 300 strikeouts in 2012 and 303 Ks in 2014. Mata led in wins in 2014 at 20-9 and had career highs in wins, strikeouts, and WAR (8.0).

Nicaragua made it back to the playoffs as a wild card in 2014 and went on another surprise run, winning the Caribbean League again. This time, they upset Torreon to win their first-ever CABA Championship. Mata was underwhelming in this run with a 4.78 ERA over 26.1 innings. However, he was excellent in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 2.12 ERA in 29.2 innings, 2-2 record, 44 strikeouts, 4 walks, 191 ERA+, and 1.6 WAR. Despite Mata’s efforts, Nicaragua finished 19^th at 6-13. His career playoff stats mirrored his regular season career fairly closely with 119.2 innings, 3.08 ERA, 9-2 record, 125 strikeouts, 17 walks, 128 ERA+, and 2.9 WAR.

Even with the weaker 2014 playoff run, Mata earned a six-year, $78,900,000 extension in March 2015. He never reached his previous peaks, but gave the Navigators three more solid years of starting. Nicaragua fell back into the middle of the standings at this point and were near the bottom by the 2020s. Mata was still a beloved figure for Navigators fans and his #17 uniform was often the most common at the ballpark. Nicaragua would retire his #17 at the end of his career.

In 2018, the 33-year old Mata only made it two starts before suffering a damaged elbow ligament, knocking him out 12 months. It was the first major injury of his career and he rehabbed back for 2019. Unfortunately, Mata blew out his elbow again in July 2019. He hoped to return possibly in late 2020 or by 2021, but he suffered a setback in June 2020. Doctors advised Mata to retire at only age 35.

Mata finished with a 179-122 record, 3.01 ERA, 2784 innings, 3029 strikeouts, 505 walks, 231/371 quality starts, 60 complete games, 12 shutouts, 132 ERA+, and 68.7 WAR. His shortened career limits his spot on leaderboards, but he does rank 84^th in strikeouts and 69^th in pitching WAR as of 2037. Mata never won POTY or had an ERA title, but some argued he was perhaps the best CABA pitcher that never earned the honor.

His rate stats were certainly impressive and he was easily a top five pitcher in his prime. Mata’s popularity and his role in a sustained run for Nicaragua pushed him across the line for all but the most stringent doubters. At 89.0%, Mata was a first ballot selection and the lone inductee for the Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 2025.