José Esquivel

Esquivel's current-season form is up 17% on last season (Season 18→21), while his Rating eased 39→31. His peak season for form remains 2023/24 (Season 23).

Domestic career

Season	Club	Apps	G	A	Match	RTG	Season
2025/26	Mazatlán · 16th	22	1	1	6.61	31	21
2024/25	Mazatlán · 16th	26	0	1	7.07	39	18
2023/24	Mazatlán · 14th	33	1	2	6.51	44	23
2023/24	Necaxa	3	0	1	6.51	—	—
2022/23	Necaxa	34	0	0	6.91	—	—
2021/22	FC Juarez	28	0	1	6.75	—	—

Domestic-league totals per season. RTG = Field Insider Rating (potential / ceiling); Season = age-blind form that year. 7 earlier seasons and 1 youth-team spell in the full career.

Mexico · international

Side	Apps	G
Mexico	1	0
Mexico U23	11	0
Mexico U21	3	0
Mexico U20	3	0
Mexico U17	7	0

Career caps & goals — tournament breakdown in the full career.

Scout report

Squad depthBall-winning Defensive midfielder

J. Esquivel is a 28-year-old defensive midfielder at Mazatlán, rated 31.4 overall by Field Insider's model, ranking 30th of 56 on scout potential in the Liga MX. An experienced operator, he has been a rotation option this season (43.3% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 4.08 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Esquivel.

Judged on this season alone, Esquivel graded 21 — a solid campaign that ranks top 34% of the 3 defensive midfielders in the Liga MX, on 1 goal, 1 assist and 4.079 defensive actions per 90.

Year-on-year, that's broadly in line with last season (Season 18 → 21). Over the 3 seasons on record his form has held fairly steady, peaking in 2023/24.

On long-term talent our Rating reads 31, 2nd of 3 of the 3 defensive midfielders in the Liga MX. At 28 Esquivel is in his prime years, and a market index of 5.4 reflects that trajectory.

From the career report

Read the full career report →

Esquivel is operating at his career peak — the 2023/24 level is the level.

Peak: 2023/24Holding levelRemarkably consistent

Current potential2nd of 3 defensive midfielders · Liga MX Current seasonTop 34% defensive midfielders · Liga MX 1st-best defensive midfielder in the Liga MX 30th in the Liga MX · potential 2nd-highest potential defensive midfielder in the Liga MX

31.4

Ratingi

2nd of 3 defensive midfielders

Seasoni

below regular-starter level

43.3%

Minutes

rotation minutes

4.08

Def. actions / 90

solid defensive volume

Output in context · Mazatlán finished 16th of 18 · a relegation-threatened side

Apps

4.08

Def. / 90

Tackles

Interceptions

Clean sheets

4.08 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — solid defensive volume, with 1 clean sheet across 22 appearances. Doing that for a relegation-threatened side (16th of 18) is harder than the bare numbers suggest: a back line under more pressure has to defend more often and protects fewer leads, so the volume — and any clean sheets — carry real weight. Going forward he chipped in 1 goal and 1 assist — a useful bonus from the back.

Strengths

Defensive volume. 4.08 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — does the unseen work.

Watch points

Game time. Only 43.3% of available minutes — needs a settled run to prove the level.
Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.

Outlook

With a Rating of 31.4, Esquivel carries the 2nd-highest potential of the defensive midfielders in the Liga MX of 3, and he is posting that for a relegation-threatened side (Mazatlán finished 16th of 18) — individual numbers are harder to earn on a struggling team, so his underlying level likely sits a touch above the ranking. Defensively he reads as solid defensive volume (4.08 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90). Experienced and reliable, but the value curve is easing (1.2× now → 0.9× projected in three years).

Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.

Per 90 & availability

Minutes played %43.3%

Available fixtures34 of 34

Goals / 900.068

Assists / 900.068

Goal contribution / 900.136

Defensive actions / 904.079

Player flow

Goal involvements2

Shot conversion %25

Shot accuracy %40

Pass accuracy %81

Dribble success %75

Cards / 900.272

Foul involvement / 902.379

Season-by-season progression

Rating (potential)Season (form)

Value & potential by age

Market valueRating

Solid = now · dashed = projected

The gold line is market value — an index (not €) blending rating, age and league. It climbs through the early 20s, peaks around ages 23–27 (~9), then tapers with age. At 28, Esquivel sits on 5.4, past its peak and easing. The blue line is Esquivel's projected Rating — 31.4 today — recomputed at each age, so it follows the same rise-and-fall as a career matures and declines. Solid = up to today; dashed = projected.

Season statistics

Bars = where he ranks among defensive midfielders in the Liga MX with 600+ minutes this season.

Shooting

Goals1—

Shots on target4—

Shots10—

Passing

Assists1—

Chances created6—

Passes425—

Pass accuracy81%—

Possession

Successful dribbles3—

Dribble success75%—

Duels won60—

Duels won %49.6%—

Fouls won8—

Defending

Tackles32—

Interceptions20—

Blocks8—

Fouls committed27—

Yellow/red cards

Yellow cards4

Red cards0

Transfer history

MMineros de ZacatecasJul 2026 – nowFree

MazatlánAug 2023 – Jul 2026

Necaxauntil Aug 2023

FC JuarezJul 2019 – Aug 2023

CF Pachuca(back from loan)Jun 2019 – Jul 2019

LLobos Buap(on loan)Jun 2018 – Jun 2019

CF Pachuca(back from loan)Jul 2016 – Jun 2018

MMineros de Zacatecas(on loan)Jul 2014 – Jul 2016

CF Pachucauntil Jul 2014

About J. Esquivel

José Joaquín Esquivel Martínez is a 28-year-old defensive midfielder who plays for Mazatlán, born on January 7, 1998 in Zacatecas, standing 173 cm tall. He is from Mexico. Mazatlán currently sit 16th of 18 in the Liga MX.

This season

In the current season, J. Esquivel has made 22 appearances with 1 goal and 1 assist across 1,324 minutes, with 4 yellow cards.

Field Insider's view

Field Insider currently rates J. Esquivel at 31.4 with a Season form score of 21, ranking 30th of 56 defensive midfielders in the Liga MX. See the full scout report for strengths, watch-points and the market-value outlook.

His honours include 2 career titles — among them the Concacaf Champions Cup. Full list in the career record.

Career

Across 12 recorded seasons, J. Esquivel has totalled 252 club appearances with 5 goals and 8 assists for 7 different clubs. His busiest campaign came in 2022/23, with 34 appearances for Necaxa.

J. Esquivel's career has also included time at MMineros de Zacatecas, Necaxa, FC Juarez, CF Pachuca and LLobos Buap.

On the international stage, J. Esquivel has represented Mexico, Mexico U23, Mexico U21, Mexico U20, Mexico U17 — 25 caps in our records.

Transfer news

No transfer news found for this player.

Profile

Season stats

Career

Scout report

Output in context · Mazatlán finished 16th of 18 · a relegation-threatened side

Strengths

Watch points