He spent most of his career with Athletic Bilbao, scoring 208 goals in as many matches across all competitions and winning four La Liga championships.

[3] Bata signed with Athletic Bilbao in 1929, and made his professional debut for them on 22 September in a 4–1 win against Deportivo Alavés for the Biscay Championship.

His first goal in the former competition came on 23 March 1930, in a 4–3 success at Atlético Madrid;[4] he was the focal point of what become a famous forward line at the club, along with José Iraragorri, Chirri II, Lafuente and Guillermo Gorostiza.

[5][6][7][8] Bata achieved the same feat of league and cup double the following campaign, while also earning the Pichichi Trophy having scored 27 goals.

[9] Seven of those came in Athletic's historic 12–1 defeat of FC Barcelona on 18 February 1931,[2] even though some sources only awarded him five and others as many as eight;[10][11] he continued to play regularly until 1935–36 when he won the championship for a fourth time, but his career was then effectively ended at the age of 28 by the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.