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Americo Negron – Right Field – Panama Parrots – 89.8% First Ballot

Americo Negron is a 6’5’’, 200 pound right-handed right fielder from Almolonga, Guatemala; a town of 17,000 people known as the “Vegetable Basket of the Americas.” Negron had rock solid contract and power against both sides and regularly got you extra base hits with a 162 game average of 37 home runs, 35 doubles, and 12 triples.

He was better than most at drawing walks, but below average at avoiding strikeouts. Negron also had delightfully average speed and baserunning chops. His biggest flaw was abysmal defense as a career right fielder. About ¼ of his career starts were as a designated hitter. The steady bat was worth putting up with bad glove work in many cases. Negron had mostly good durability in a 19-year career and was considered one of the smarter guys in the clubhouse.

Negron went sixth overall in the 2006 CABA Draft to Panama. He wasn’t quite ready and spent much of 2007-09 in the developmental system. Negron started 44 games between 2008-09 specifically, but struggled in his limited use. He became a full-timer in 2010 with respectable results. Negron then put things together in 2001, leading the Caribbean League with 140 RBI to earn his first Silver Slugger. That was his career best for RBI and home runs with 46.

After the 2011 campaign, the Parrots inked Negron to an eight-year, $69,300,000 extension. He became a reliable force in the lineup, winning additional Sluggers from 2012-15 and from 2017-18, all in right field. Negron never won MVP, but was third in 2014 and second in 2018. He led with 208 hits in 2014, a season that had his career bests in OPS (1.068) and WAR (7.9). In 2018, Negron led in runs (123), slugging (.655), OPS (1.044), and wRC+ (186).

Panama historically was a bottom rung team amongst a tough Continental Division. Negron did help them become competitive in the 2010s, averaging 86.7 wins per season in his starting seasons. The Parrots’ best run was a division title and CLCS defeat in 2013 to Santo Domingo. Their other playoff berths were wild cards and first round exits in 2012 and 2015. Negron was strong in 2013 specifically and had a .988 OPS over 14 playoff starts with the Parrots.

For Panama, Negron had 1463 games, 1727 hits, 961 runs, 276 doubles, 103 triples, 340 home runs, 982 RBI, 167 steals, .318/.363/.595 slash, 158 wRC+, and 49.0 WAR. He declined the contract option and left for free agency after the 2018 campaign at age 32. Negron remained popular with Parrots fans and his #9 uniform would eventually be retired.

He was also popular in his native Guatemala, although he only played in the 2011, 2013, and 2014 editions of the World Baseball Championship. Negron did have an important role in the Guatemalans’ fourth place finish in 2013, picking up 23 hits, 17 runs, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, 16 RBI, and 1.059 OPS in 2013 games. Negron stayed in the Caribbean League but moved to the islands for his second squad on a six-year, $81,600,000 deal with Puerto Rico.

Negron was solid in his first three years with the Pelicans, although lost significant time in 2019 between a strained biceps and torn back muscle. His best effort was 2021, which earned a Silver Slugger as a DH for the eighth total of his career. Puerto Rico broke through that year to end a seven-year playoff drought, winning their first Caribbean League pennant since 1956. They were denied the CABA Championship by Tijuana.

Stunningly, Negron was terrible in the postseason run with a .153/.190/.186 slash and -0.8 WAR over 16 starts. He did redeem himself with a respectable Baseball Grand Championship for a .257/.312/.600 slash, 18 hits, 10 runs, 6 homers, 15 RBI, and 0.6 WAR over 18 starts. Puerto Rico was near the middle of the standings at 9-10. They hovered around .500 for the rest of Negron’s tenure.

Negron missed two months in 2022 to a broken hand. He was unremarkable in 2023, but bounced back with a respectable final season in 2024. For the Pelicans, Negron had 831 games, 939 hits, 522 runs, 160 doubles, 69 triples, 181 home runs, 560 RBI, .298/.350/.565 slash, 142 wRC+, and 22.4 WAR. While there, he crossed the 500 home run, 2500, and 1500 RBI milestones.

CABA teams were no longer interested in the now 38-year old Negron by 2025. He opened up an international job search and landed in the Ivory Coast on a two-year, $11,400,000 deal with Bouake of West African Baseball. Negron was an okay starter in 2025, but struggled and was benched in 2026. Over 231 games for the Blood Hawks, Negron had a .253/.322/.450 slash, 96 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. He retired from professional baseball after the 2026 season just after his 40^th birthday.

In CABA, Negron played 2294 games with 2666 hits, 1483 runs, 436 doubles, 172 triples, 521 home runs, 1542 RBI, 653 walks, 1804 strikeouts, 275 steals, .311/.359/.584 slash, 152 wRC+, and 71.4 WAR. As of 2037, Negron ranks 98^th in games, 44^th in hits, 31^st in runs, 44^th in doubles, 61^st in home runs, 38^th in RBI, and 33^rd in total bases (5009). His .942 OPS is 72^nd among CABA batters with 3000+ plate appearances and he ranks 66^th in slugging. However, he was outside of the top 100 for WAR.

Like his Hall of Fame classmates, Negron wouldn’t slot into the inner circle. But when your league has a century of history and you’re top 50 in hits, runs, and RBI; you’re hard to deny. Negron was the top hitting right fielder for around a decade in the Caribbean League and as such earned a first ballot nod at 89.8% to co-headline for 2030’s class for the Central American Baseball Association.



Lucas Martinez – Right Field – San Luis Potosi Potros – 73.4% First Ballot

Lucas Martinez was a 6’2’’, 190 pound outfielder from Puga, Mexico; a town of around 8,000 in the west-central coastal state of Nayarit. Martinez’s biggest strengths were reliable home run power and a strong eye for walks. He was above average at best for contact and subpar at avoiding strikeouts. Martinez made his hit counts though with ten seasons of 40+ home runs. His 162 game average got you 42 homers, 23 doubles, and 3 triples.

Martinez was better against right-handed pitching, but was solid against both sides. His baserunning instincts were good, but he was cartoonishly slow. This also meant his range was putrid in the outfield. Martinez made about 80% of his starts in right field with most of the rest in left. He graded as a terrible defender despite having an absolute cannon arm due to poor range and glove work.

He had a couple big injuries in his 20s, but stayed mostly healthy in his 30s and put together a 17-year career. Martinez was appreciated by teammates and fans for fierce loyalty, but he was criticized for a lackluster work ethic. Still, Martinez became the first star player and Hall of Famer for San Luis Potosi, who joined the Mexican League in the 2003 expansion.

The Potros picked Martinez third in the 2007 CABA Draft and made him a full-time starter right away, although he lost three weeks of his rookie year to a sprained ankle. In his third year, Martinez led the league with a career high 74 walks and had his first of four seasons above 6+ WAR. 2011 was a big setback with a broken hand in late April. Not only did he lose much of the season, but he struggled upon returning.

Martinez bounced back in 2012 with 47 home runs, .978 OPS, and 7.5 WAR. In 2013, a fractured ankle in spring training kept him out most of the first half. Upon returning, Martinez was on pace for an MVP 2013 season with 1.113 OPS, 5.5 WAR, and 37 home runs. San Luis Potosi also earned their first-ever playoff berth or winning season in 2013, but lost in the first round. The Potros were cautious with Martinez’s injury history and extended him in the offseason for only three years and $41,700,000.

He stayed generally healthy over the next decade and hit 40+ home runs with 100+ RBI in all but one season from 2014-22. SLP gave him the big extension in January 2016 at $98,600,000 over six years. Martinez wasn’t in awards conversations though apart from his lone Silver Slugger in 2018. Still, he was a reliable slugger in the middle of the Potros lineup.

San Luis Potosi was above .500 from 2013-19 and had wild cards in 2013, 15, and 18. However, they never got beyond the first round. In his eight playoff starts, Martinez had .935 OPS and 0.4 WAR. He did play for Mexico in nine editions of the World Baseball Championship from 2013-24. In 87 games and 65 starts, Martinez had 49 hits, 39 runs, 10 doubles, 19 home runs, 36 RBI, .208/.331/.492 slash, and 2.5 WAR. Martinez was notably a starter for Mexico’s 2015 runner-up finish to the Philippines.

He remained steady into his mid 30s, but San Luis Potosi regressed hard as the 2020s began, bottoming out with an abysmal 52-110 in 2022. This was Martinez’s final season and they mutually agreed to part ways, making Martinez a free agent for the first time at age 38. For the Potros, he had 2148 games, 2231 hits, 126 runs, 309 doubles, 593 home runs, 1441 RBI, .290/.356/.572 slash, 157 wRC+, and 73.1 WAR. Martinez’s #14 uniform would be the first number retired by SLP.

Martinez had posted 5.6 WAR, .945 OPS, and 46 homers in his final season, meaning he had plenty of interest. Even Major League Baseball teams took notice and Martinez took his talents to Texas on a two-year, $34 million deal with Dallas. He only played one year for the Dalmatians with okay production, posting 127 games, 18 homers, .740 OPS, 106 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR.

In 2024, Martinez returned to CABA and signed a two-year, $12,200,000 deal with Costa Rica. The run allowed him to reach 600 CABA home runs, the 22^nd to do so. Unfortunately, 2024 was a disaster otherwise with -1.6 WAR and .629 OPS over 149 games. Martinez retired that winter at age 40.

Martinez in CABA finished with 2297 games, 2343 hits, 1306 runs, 325 doubles, 38 triples, 606 home runs, 1483 RBI, 801 walks, 2025 strikeouts, .287/.351/.558 slash, 152 wRC+, and 71.5 WAR. As of 2037, Martinez is 97^th in games, 99^th in hits, 74^th in runs, 26^th in home runs, 51^st in RBI, and 65^th in total bases (4564). He doesn’t crack the top 100 for WAR or OPS.

Some voters weren’t entirely sold on Martinez’s all-around resume, especially with the lack of big awards and black ink. For many others, 600 home runs alone were enough, although recently David Jack had become the first CABA slugger to get dropped from the ballot despite 600 dingers. Being the first star to help a new franchise grow also worked well in Martinez’s favor. He crossed the 66% requirement at 73.4% for a first ballot selection to cap off a solid three-player 2030 Hall of Fame class for the Central American Baseball Association.