CARMEL >> Hours after seeing his season come to a close, JJ Sanchez and his family got on a plane headed for Cabo San Lucas.

A baseball season that stretched into its fifth month had put the trip on hold for the Carmel High star.

“It was a planned trip,” Sanchez said. “The hope was it would be delayed a couple more days and we would have been playing for a title. But it feels good to be down here and just relaxing. Just a lot of sun and no concerns.”

Sanchez led Carmel further than it had ever been before — the CIF Northern California Division III semifinals. That performance earned him the honor of being The Herald’s All-County Player of the Year.

“What separates him from others is what he was able to do on both sides of the equation,” Carmel coach Mike Kelly. “He was the best pitcher and hitter on the field. It was as simple as that.”

Batting in the No. 3 spot, the left-handed swinging Sanchez led the Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division in hitting with a .414 average and a .456 on-base percentage.

Yet, Sanchez’s playing future may be on the pitcher’s mound, where the southpaw struck out 87 hitters, pitching Carmel to a pair of postseason wins and the program’s eighth Central Coast Section Division III title.

“Mainly the biggest difference for me is maturity,” said Sanchez, who is just a junior. “I had command of my pitches. I’m just more confident in my abilities.”

Sanchez also evolved as a leader in the dugout. Not so much by words, rather by actions. His work habits became infectious as players gravitated toward him.

“He’s not one to make a speech,” Kelly said. “He embraced the leadership role with his actions. JJ never flinched at a situation he was put in. He put in the work. Others would join him.”

Sanchez won a team-high seven games for the Padres, throwing a gem in the CCS title game against top-seed Branham of San Jose. He compiled a 1.85 earned run average over 80 innings.

The 17-year-old also hurled Carmel to a pair of wins over Gabilan Division champion Hollister, with the last win triggering a seven-game winning streak that took the Padres into the Northern California semifinals.

“The first win over Hollister was a game changer,” Sanchez said. “There was a lot of chemistry on the field. Our confidence shot up. We just had fun out there.”

Blessed with a fastball that tips 88 mph on the radar gun, Sanchez comes after hitters with a curve, slider and change-up. Over the winter, he added a two-seam fastball.

Once he became comfortable and confident in throwing the pitch, Sanchez turned to it as a strikeout pitch in critical situations.

“His two-seam has a lot of good movement and drops a little bit,” Kelly said. “It’s very effective. A lot of righties are swinging and missing.”

An adjustment in his approach to the plate in the off-season saw Sanchez’s average climb, as he led the team in hits, while driving in 19 runs, doubling his multiple-hit game total from the previous season.

“I started hitting more line drives,” said Sanchez, who hit five homers last year. “Last year I was trying to go deep with each at-bat. We play in a small yard, so it’s tempting. I wanted to spray the ball around the field — play more short ball.”

Sanchez recognized the importance of being a table setter, sharing the team lead in walks with 17, while flirting with a .500 on-base percentage for much of the season.

“Everyone knew who he was,” Kelly said. “He’d shoulder the burden, understanding a need to get it done to take the pressure off his teammates. He was no mystery, and he still delivered the entire time.”

While he has another year to enjoy the dual role of being a hitter and pitcher, Sanchez has no idea where his future lies.

“I love doing both,” said Sanchez, who is a two-time member of the Herald’s All-County team.

It is likely he’ll have to make a choice before embarking on a college career, as radar guns have begun showing up at Carmel games this past spring.

“I think his spot going forward would be pitching,” Kelly said. “But he could do both. He can play first base. I think he is more suited for pitching going forward.”

An off-season of travel ball won’t be all Sanchez embarks upon during the summer. He wants to improve his flexibility in his hips, giving him more motion and perhaps improving his velocity.

Baseball, however, was the last thing on Sanchez’s mind while spending a week in Mexico. Reflecting on a phenomenal year has not even crossed his mind.

“I haven’t had a chance to look back,” Sanchez said. “We literally left after the game. Right now, I’m just enjoying Cabo and not worrying about anything back home.”