Mario Meza
{{short description|Mexican baseball player (born 1990)}}
{{family name hatnote|Meza|Mendoza|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Mario Meza
|team= Saraperos de Saltillo
|number=50
|position=Pitcher
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1990|11|24}}
|birth_place=Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
}}
José Mario Meza Mendoza (born November 24, 1990) is a Mexican professional baseball pitcher for the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League. Meza was selected for the Mexico national baseball team at the 2017 World Baseball Classic{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/mexico-announces-world-baseball-classic-roster-c215444238|title=A-Gon, Davis lead Mexico's WBC '17 roster|work=mlb.com|first=Austin|last=Laymance|date=February 8, 2017|access-date=March 8, 2017}} and 2019 Pan American Games Qualifier.{{cite web | url=https://prepan2019beisebol.com.br/mexico/ | title=MÉXICO | work=Prē Pan 19 | language=Portuguese | accessdate=March 8, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327085741/https://prepan2019beisebol.com.br/mexico/ | archive-date=March 27, 2019 | url-status=dead }}
Career
=Tigres de Quintana Roo=
On March 14, 2012, Meza signed with the Tigres de Quintana Roo of the Mexican League. In 11 games, he logged a 4.50 ERA with 6 strikeouts over 22 innings of work. Meza made 17 appearances (5 starts) for Quintana Roo in 2013, but struggled to a 1–2 record and 6.00 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 39 innings pitched.{{Cite web|title=Mario Meza minor league baseball statistics on StatsCrew.com|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/stats/p-908cbcf4|access-date=December 24, 2024|website=statscrew.com|language=en}}
=Saraperos de Saltillo=
On June 4, 2013, Meza was traded to the Saraperos de Saltillo. In 13 games (8 starts) down the stretch, he struggled to an 0–6 record and 7.87 ERA with 39 strikeouts across {{fraction|42|1|3}} innings pitched. Meza made 6 starts for Saltillo in 2014, recording an 8.71 ERA with 13 strikeouts over {{fraction|20|2|3}} innings of work.{{Cite web|title=Mario Meza Stats & Scouting Report|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/players/9121-mario-meza/stats/|access-date=December 24, 2024|website=baseballamerica.com|language=en}}
=Leones de Yucatán=
On June 3, 2014, Meza was assigned to the Leones de Yucatán. In 20 games for the team, he logged a 3.75 ERA with 18 strikeouts over 24 innings pitched. Meza did not appear in a game for the team in 2015.
Meza made 53 appearances for Yucatán in 2016, compiling a 4–2 record and 1.59 ERA with 51 strikeouts and a league–leading 24 holds in 51 innings of work. On November 15, 2016, Meza signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs organization.{{Cite web|title=Minor League Transactions: Nov. 12-18|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/minor-league-transactions-nov-12-18/|access-date=December 24, 2024|website=baseballamerica.com|date=21 November 2016 |language=en}} On March 30, 2017, Meza was assigned to the Leones. In 31 appearances out of the bullpen, he posted a 3.26 ERA with 32 strikeouts across {{fraction|30|1|3}} innings pitched, and did not allow a single home run.{{Cite web|title=Mario Meza regresa a la cueva para rugir este 2018|url=https://www.leones.mx/mario-meza-regresa-a-la-cueva-para-rugir-este-2018/|access-date=December 24, 2024|website=leones.mx|date=4 April 2018 |language=en}}
=Saraperos de Saltillo (second stint)=
On August 14, 2018, Meza was assigned to the Saraperos de Saltillo. He made 9 starts for the team down the stretch, struggling to a 9.95 ERA with 5 strikeouts. Meza was released by the Cubs organization on March 18, 2019. Returning to Saltillo, he made 61 appearances for the Saraperos in 2019, registering a 6–2 record and 3.53 ERA with 82 strikeouts and 6 saves across {{fraction|58|2|3}} innings pitched.{{Cite web|title=Mario Meza está feliz de volver a Saraperos y quiere repetir lo hecho en 2019|url=https://vanguardia.com.mx/deportes/beisbol/mario-meza-esta-feliz-de-volver-saraperos-y-quiere-repetir-lo-hecho-en-2019-HMVG3513631|access-date=December 24, 2024|website=vanguardia.com.mx|date=9 March 2020 |language=en}} On October 4, 2019, Meza was returned to the Leones by Saltillo.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/player/mario-meza-616405?stats=career-r-pitching-minors&year=2020|title = Mario Meza Stats, Fantasy & News|website = MLB.com}} Meza did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Mexican League season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/07/mexican-league-cancels-2020-season.html|title=Mexican League Cancels 2020 Season|date=July 2020 }}
In 2021, Meza's rights were re–acquired by Saltillo. In 2023, Meza made 41 relief outings for Saltillo, recording a 2.70 ERA with 43 strikeouts across {{fraction|36|2|3}} innings pitched.{{Cite web|title=Saraperos: 'El Pariente' Mario Meza en el mejor momento en su carrera|url=https://www.milb.com/mexican/news/saraperos-el-pariente-mario-meza-en-el-mejor-momento-de-su-carrera|access-date=March 12, 2024|website=milb.com|language=en}}
On April 26, 2025, Meza, Kurt Heyer, Deolis Guerra, Danis Correa, and Ryan Meisinger combined to no-hit the Dorados de Chihuahua.{{Cite web|title=Saraperos de Saltillo logran 'no hitter' combinado|url=https://www.elhorizonte.mx/deportes/saraperos-de-saltillo-logran-no-hitter-combinado/5618075286|access-date=May 6, 2025|website=elhorizonte.mx|language=es}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{baseballstats|brm=meza--000mar}}
{{Mexico roster 2017 World Baseball Classic}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meza, Mario}}
Category:Águilas de Mexicali players
Category:Baseball players from Sinaloa
Category:Leones de Yucatán players
Category:Mexican baseball players
Category:Mexican League baseball pitchers
Category:Saraperos de Saltillo players
Category:Tigres de Quintana Roo players
Category:Yaquis de Obregón players
Category:2017 World Baseball Classic players
Category:World Baseball Classic players of Mexico
Category:Sportspeople from Culiacán
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