World Series champion J.D. Martinez knew the odds were stacked squarely against him in Wednesday night's Celebrity Pickleball Showdown at Brookhaven Country Club.

A singles matchup versus World No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters is essentially a recipe for disaster, especially since she hasn't lost a one-on-one encounter in over 525 days.

The fact that Martinez didn't have any singles experience under his belt wasn't a good omen, either, so he was already in deep trouble before the contest began.

"I've never done anything like this. I'm a little nervous about going up against Anna Leigh in singles. I've never played singles before, so this ought to be fun. I might have to go pay the refs off," he joked with reporters in a pre-match media scrum. "If I beat her, do I win the trophy, like the tournament trophy? That's got to count for something, right?"

Well, not exactly.

Waters made easy work of Martinez during the exhibition, of course, showcasing an array of shots in her remarkable arsenal in the process.

It goes without saying that Martinez humbly accepted defeat.

"It was awful. It was like a nightmare," he mentioned with a laugh. "Why would anybody do that? I had no idea what to do. I just hit the ball."

The good news for Martinez is that he'll continue to improve in the months and years to come with expert guidance and consistent practice.

The six-time MLB All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger Award winner signed an exclusive deal with JOOLA in February to prepare to transition to professional pickleball after his baseball career, so he's eager to commit more time and energy to the sport down the road.

"It's one of those things where this year I didn't get to practice as much as I wanted to just because baseball was still on my mind and going that way," he explained. "We'll see how it goes this offseason, and next year would probably be the year that I take it a little bit more seriously, have more fun with it, and see what happens."

Still, Martinez has seen significant progress in his game with the help of JOOLA pro Eric White.

The pair have worked together on several occasions in South Florida.

"Eric got me so much better. He's taught me so many shots already. When I first met him, I was so bad, and then he taught me little weapons, little keys, like flicks, little ways to maneuver the paddles, and how to slow the ball down. It's just cool learning new shots and new tricks," praised Martinez. "I've learned some elementary dinking, too, patterns, how to move players' feet, and how to cut off distance."

Hitting the 20x44 with Hayden Patriquin and Will Howells has also been beneficial.

There's no substitute for getting a taste of pickleball at the highest level.

"We played a game and they were great. They were cool guys, and I kind of called them out on it a little bit. I was like, 'Hey! Stop being nice with me. I want the real deal. I want to see it.' I instantly regretted it," recalled Martinez. "Hayden asked, 'Are body bags fair?' I'm like, 'It's a pickleball. You're not going to hurt me or my feelings. I promise.' I left with like three welts. I quickly realized there's levels to this."

That's for sure.

Players like Waters, Patriquin, and Howells are world-class talents with elite skill sets who play pickleball for a living.

At age 38, Martinez is taking a more casual approach to America's fastest-growing sport after accomplishing so much in the baseball world as a member of the Astros, Tigers, Diamondbacks, Red Sox, Dodgers, and Mets. 

"I don't really have a vision [for my pickleball career]. I just enjoy playing it, and I enjoy having fun. I think if it ever gets to where it's a job-type thing, I don't think I'd do it," he insisted. "I've worked too hard in my career, gotten too much. I'm just here to have fun and challenge myself in different ways."

Standing on the opposite side of the net from Waters in front of thousands of spectators watching on-site and on TV would certainly qualify as a "challenge" in that regard.

Stepping up to the plate like that is a good indicator that Martinez is a tried-and-true pickleball fan.

"I love the craftiness of the shots and the skill of it. You could be the best athlete and it doesn't matter. You come out here and you'll get worked by 70-year-old ladies that know how to maneuver the ball and push you around the court," he said. "I tell my baseball friends all the time. I told Francisco Lindor this one time and he laughed to me. He's like, 'No shot!' I said, 'Come out and play! You'll see!' But, it's just cool. It's like more of a skill sport to me."

An avid Pickleballtv fan, Martinez watches PPA Tour and MLP events whenever possible.

It's another way to sharpen his pickleball IQ while staying in the loop on the latest news from around the picklesphere.

"I like watching the best players play, so I'll just watch and learn some new trick shots that they're doing and try to pick up on them and replicate them," he shared. "I watch Ben Johns, Anna Leigh, Hayden, Gabe Tardio, try to learn a little twoey from James Ignatowich. They all have their signature shots that they do, so I kind of just learn little things from everyone."

With that in mind, could we eventually see Martinez competing in PPA Challenger Series events?

He's open to it.

"I think I would. I think I would do it for fun," he confirmed. "Obviously getting a good partner, getting someone that could help me out a little bit. There's another baseball player, Brad Penny, that JOOLA works with as well, so they were talking about bringing us together for fun."

Stay tuned.