Academy Notebook: Chris Marcellus and Austin Phillips selected for two MLB Develops events

Chris Marcellus selected to attend Breakthrough Series

This time next week, Chris Marcellus will be returning to Texas as an even better baseball player. Chris, a rising senior at Sachse High School, was invited to attend the 2021 Breakthrough Series at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Fla.

On Monday, June 7, Marcellus will travel to Florida to attend the MLB Develops event hosted by Major League Baseball and USA Baseball. High school athletes graduating in 2022 and 2023 were selected from across the country to attend the event with all costs underwritten by USA Baseball.

Marcellus has been attending the Youth Academy since 2018, where he has developed his natural talents and is hoping to improve even further at the Breakthrough Series.

“It means a lot for me to attend the Breakthrough Series,” said Marcellus. “Being out there with the guys that look just like me, getting to know each other, and getting these opportunities is fun.”

Established in 2008, the Breakthrough Series focuses on developing players on and off the field through seminars, mentorship, gameplay, scout evaluations, video coverage and the highest level of instruction while providing a platform for the players to perform for scouts and collegiate coaches.

Marcellus is hopeful that events like the Breakthrough series will help him land a collegiate baseball scholarship to play at a school that offers him opportunities on the field and in the classroom.

He has spent his baseball career constantly focused on improving his game, never settling, and always taking that extra step to improve. He plans to apply this same mindset over the next week as he participates in three days of skills evaluation, training, presentations and games.

“I’m looking forward to learning a lot of lessons from the coaches, utilizing new learning opportunities and just becoming an overall better ballplayer.”

Chris’ bags are packed for his June 7 departure, and he is ready to make his mark at the Breakthrough Series.

Austin Phillips selected to attend Hank Aaron Invitational

Austin Phillips is one of 250 athletes from across the United States selected to attend the Hank Aaron Invitational this July. Phillips will participate in Week One of the invitational, traveling to the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Fla., on July 17.

Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association and USA Baseball created this unique amateur development event to serve as a youth-oriented, on-field diversity initiative that aims to get high school-age players to the next level of the game.

Phillips has been attending the Youth Academy since 2018, where he has built up his baseball resume each summer through the RBI league and special events like the Future Stars Series, Baseball Factory and 2019 Hank Aaron Invitational.

Players from across the U.S. were selected to attend the invitational based on a combination of their participation in events hosted by the Youth Academy Network, MLB, USA Baseball, and more. Phillips believes his “skill and positive attitude” played a role in his selection.

Athletes will participate in five days of elite-level training and competitive games while also receiving a series of presentations on college eligibility and other information necessary for advancement in the collegiate and professional levels of the sport.

“I feel like [the Hank Aaron Invitational] will help me improve my mentality towards baseball, my work ethic, and how I should work,” said Phillips. “I’m looking forward to playing on some nice fields in Florida and getting the opportunity to play with people more like me and learn from former major league coaches.”

Since its start in 2015, the Hank Aaron Invitational has brought together baseball’s rising stars and former Major League players and coaches like Jerry Manuel and Ken Griffey Jr. to improve the caliber of play and provide top-notch training to all invited athletes.

Austin will play in the Rangers RBI League this summer while he counts down the days until the 2021 Hank Aaron Invitational in July.

Texas Ranger RBI League schedule

Athletes ages 13 to 18 will compete in the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) League all summer long at the Academy.