Repping Mexico in Classic a dream come true for Martínez

MESA, Ariz. -- Adrián Martínez excitedly tuned in for every game involving Team Mexico during the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Watching idols such as Adrián González and Yovani Gallardo, he admired the passion they exhibited while donning the green, white and red.

“I would watch all the stars playing in the Classic on TV,” Martínez said in Spanish. “I dreamed of being there.”

At the time, a 20-year-old Martínez couldn’t fathom such an opportunity. He was slowly recovering from Tommy John surgery in the Padres’ system, which left him unsure as to whether San Diego would even keep him around in the organization beyond that season. Six years later, that far-fetched dream will turn into reality.

Receiving his first call to the big leagues in 2022, Martínez put himself on Mexico’s radar over the 12 starts he made with the A’s and was approached with an invitation at the end of last season. Despite his eagerness to join, Martínez was hesitant. He knew he would enter Spring Training in competition for a slot in Oakland’s rotation and wanted to maximize his opportunity to earn a job. Once the A’s gave permission, he jumped at the offer.

“I never imagined that I would be playing in World Baseball Classic representing Mexico,” Martínez said. “It’s a dream come true for me. I never imagined something like this could happen.”

This won’t be the first time Martínez gets to represent his country. As an amateur, the Mexicali native pitched for Mexico as an 18-year-old in the 2014 18U Pan American Championship. It was through that experience that he met many of the players on Mexico’s roster he’ll be teaming up with for the Classic.

“The majority of the players there, I know them,” Martínez said. “Some of them also played with me in Mexico with the Diablos Rojos. There’s some I haven’t met yet, but I think it’s going to be a good atmosphere. We’re going to represent the country with a lot of heart.”

Before Martínez leaves camp to prepare with Team Mexico next month, he’ll get a chance to pitch in at least two Cactus League games for Oakland. Though being away from the club does not seem ideal for a young player who is trying to secure a spot in the big leagues, Martínez believes the A’s will take his performance in the tournament into account as part of his evaluation this spring.

“They’ll be watching how I pitch and how things go,” Martínez said. “I was actually a little ahead of schedule in my throwing because of the Classic. I’m happy, and I feel healthy, which is the most important.”

The A’s have already been pleased with what they’ve seen of Martínez so far in camp. In addition to bulking up through an offseason strength program devised by the A’s training staff that bumped his weight from 215 pounds to 224, the right-hander has also cleaned up some mechanical flaws that crept up during his rookie season in ‘22, mainly a tendency to fall off the mound toward the first-base side during his delivery.

Following a live batting practice session at Hohokam Stadium last week, Martínez displayed a much more clean and repeatable delivery. He also appeared to maintain his direction toward the plate.

“I thought he looked real good,” A’s pitching coach Scott Emerson said. “We were working on some things in the offseason about staying on line. Keeping his ball in the zone so it doesn’t come back. Any time he was going glove side a lot, the ball comes back. That’s the one thing he really concentrated and focused on in the offseason. Staying on line a little bit longer and using the ground to stay behind his fastball better.

“Hopefully, it makes his slider and changeup that much more appealing to the hitter as everything tunnels down the same lane.”

Facing a tough competition this spring that will likely see six pitchers vying for the final two slots of the A’s rotation, Martínez does have the benefit of possessing a truly elite pitch in the form of his changeup. According to Statcast, his movement on the pitch vs. the average changeup (compared to changes thrown at a similar velocity and release point) carried a vertical drop of plus-9.8 inches last season, the highest among all Major League pitchers.

That changeup along with a cleanup of his mechanics could be the key to establishing his spot with the A’s in 2023.