MESA, Ariz. -- Adri¨¢n Mart¨ªnez excitedly tuned in for every game involving Team Mexico during the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Watching idols such as Adri¨¢n Gonz¨¢lez 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,¡± Mart¨ªnez said in Spanish. ¡°I dreamed of being there.¡±

At the time, a 20-year-old Mart¨ªnez 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, Mart¨ªnez 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, Mart¨ªnez 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,¡± Mart¨ªnez said. ¡°It¡¯s a dream come true for me. I never imagined something like this could happen.¡±

This won¡¯t be the first time Mart¨ªnez 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,¡± Mart¨ªnez 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 Mart¨ªnez 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, Mart¨ªnez 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,¡± Mart¨ªnez 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 Mart¨ªnez 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, Mart¨ªnez 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, Mart¨ªnez 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.