FORT MYERS, Fla. – Back in late September, rising class of 2024 corner-infielder and right-handed pitcher Jax Phillips accomplished something that really doesn’t happen all that often, if at all.

Playing with the East Cobb Astros 16u at an event called the Underclass/2023’s PG Southeast Fall Frenzy held in the north Atlanta suburbs, Phillips had the distinction of being named both the Most Valuable Pitcher and the Most Valuable Player, a unique daily double to say the least. And it was kind of strange exactly how it came to be.

“They gave me the MV pitcher and then they gave another kid the MV hitter,” Phillips told PG early Wednesday morning. “And then later on they sent me an email and told me, hey, you were also the MV hitter; it was really kind of funny.”

Chris Phillips believes that sort of approach is crucial to success: “Baseball is a game of just constant improvement,” he said. “It’s kind of like ‘Whac-a-Mole’ where you get real good at something and then it looks like you’ve got a weakness over here, so I think it’s good for him to just constantly gauge and assess where he’s at on a big stage.”

Chris Phillips said the decision on which way Jax should turn will ultimately be made by someone else. Jax Phillips certainly looks that part of dominate pitcher at 6-foot-4, 185-pounds, a tall, lean and lanky kid with a big arm who really hasn’t started to fill out his frame yet.

The test, Chris said, will come when Jax is facing 90 mph pitching on a regular basis and is still able to make consistent contact. If he struggles against that kind of velo and an occasional hard slider it will be time to lean more toward pitching.

“I’ve told him that right now you’ve done a really, really good job on both sides of the ball so do that for as long as you can,” Jax’s dad continued. “Let somebody that knows a heck of a lot more about baseball tell you. Because if you’re out there throwing 97 (mph) I can tell you right now somebody’s going to tell you to put your bat down. But if you’re hitting bombs they’re going to say, you know what? Hold onto that thing for a little bit. Let’s let smarter people than us figure that out.”

Phillips made his commitment to Georgia two years ago as an eighth-grader and there’s been no looking back. He said he was getting quite a few offers at the time but when he started talking to the Georgia coaching staff he immediately felt like he was at home. Academics are important to Jax – he carries a 4.0 GPA – and he feels like Georgia could meet his needs on that front, as well. Chris Phillips said it was a  bit of no-brainer to accept the offer.

“I told him that he could only commit to dream schools (that young) because if a school comes and offers you now, are you going to tell them no and tell them yes two years from now?” Chris said. “So it has to be a dream school; it can’t just be anybody.”

College and the possibilities of the MLB Amateur Draft are still more than two years away for Jax Phillips and a lot of questions will answered and decisions made over those next two years. Chris Phillips has had a big impact on his son’s baseball career to date but has now taken a step back from coaching Jax and leaving that to Baldwin and his staff with the East Cobb Astros.

“When he was young I felt like it was our game and I was kind of nudging him along,” Chris said. “And now it’s his game and he knows that this is not for the faint of heart. If you want to compete at the levels that your goals are set for you’ve got to work really hard.”

Jax Phillips will continue to test himself against the best in an effort to be the best that he can be, even when that means going up against top prospects a year or two older than he is. It’s his plan to be with the Astros at the PG WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Fla., next October, an experience that will provide a test unlike any other.

The chances are very slim that he’ll ever again win the MV Player and MV Pitcher awards at the same PG tournament, but that’s OK. There’s just too much else to be looking forward to.

“I love where I’m at,” he said. “I keep working hard and I keep getting better and I don’t want to be content. … My dad had a big impact on me at a young age and Guerry (Baldwin) has definitely had a big impact on me.”