News

by AJ Mithen

They may have finished the regular season four games under .500, but Canberra are back in the ABLCS for the first time since 2017/18, a closely fought 2-1 loss to Brisbane who were in the midst of their remarkable run of four straight ABL Championships between 2015/16 and 2018/19.

Cavalry stalwart Cam Warner played in that losing series and he knows that sting – he’s keen to do his part to make this weekend turn out differently.

READ MORE: “Just Find A Way” | A Perth Heat Preview ahead of the Championship Series 

by Eric Balnar

On Thursday 9 January – exactly three weeks ago today – the Perth Heat dropped a 3-1 game to the Canberra Cavalry.

Their record fell to 15-18 and the Heat momentarily tumbled out of playoff position, suddenly two games back of the Cavs and half a game behind the Melbourne Aces.

They were down but nowhere near out.

In the nine games that followed, the Perth Heat ripped off a 7-2 record, took down the defending champions and now find themselves playing for a Claxton Shield.

It’s a story of resilience and just “finding a way.”

If the Heat want to become champions for the first time since 2015, they’ll have to “find a way” one more time vs the Canberra Cavalry this weekend.

story by Griffin Epstein, Brisbane Bandits broadcast, writer and media relations. For Brisbane’s active roster, click here.

ABL SEASON GUIDES: www.theabl.com.au/ablguide/

The Brisbane Bandits have 52 wins over the last two ABL seasons but do not have a ABLCS appearance to show for falling to the Perth Heat in consecutive years in the postseason.

With a collection of returning veterans and intriguing young talent the Bandits hope the 2023-24 season brings the Claxton Shield back to the ‘Sunshine State’ for a record setting fifth time in the modern era.

2023-24 Record: 22-18, 3rd in ABL

What is the storyline of the season?

Retooling for another run at a championship. The last two Bandits teams have played like championship teams sporadically but have been unable to bring another Claxton Shield back to Brisbane.

Shayne Watson returns for his second season as Bandits Manager and much of Brisbane’s veteran Australian core returns to Viticon Stadium. The Bandits will have a heavy dose of talent from Asian leagues with 12 total CPBL players from Taiwan and 4 from the KBO powerhouse Samsung Lions.

What major changes have there been?

The Bandits signed a two year contract to become the official ABL affiliate of the CPBL in Taiwan with all six teams in the league sending two players each to Brisbane over the course of the season.

Brisbane also starts the KBO affiliation with the Samsung Lions after previously having a partnership with the NC Dinos.

The Australian core of Holland, Lutz, Fritsch and Skepton are all back in Brisbane. The Bandits return three of their four primary starters from the 2023-24 season, but add former ABL pitcher of the Year Gunnar Kines from Melbourne to fill the final starting spot in the rotation.

Logan Wade will miss the season, as he begins a career as a firefighter.

Ins: Affiliation with CPBL, affiliation with Samsung Lions (KBO), Gunnar Kines (Melbourne), Jake Burns (Sydney), Tom Stancic (Canberra)

Outs: Logan Wade, Andrew Campbell, affiliation with Milwaukee Brewers, affiliation with NC Dinos (KBO)

Who are the locals we should know about?

Sam Holland has been the face of the Bandits pitching staff for a decade. He will represent Team Australia at the Premier 12. Holland has served as both a starter and a reliever in his lengthy Bandits career. He played five seasons in Minor League Baseball with the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Angels organisations.

Donald Lutz is a fan favourite in Brisbane. The German-American took a playing break last season to coach. Now a full-time Brisbane resident Lutz will bring plenty of pop to the Bandits lineup. He’s hit 51 home runs in the ABL, the fourth most in league history. Lutz played 62 games for the big league Cincinnati Reds in 2013 and 2014.

Alex Skepton burst onto the scene in 2023-24 winning ABL Rookie of the Year honours and will be Brisbane’s centerfielder again this season. Another Queenslander, Dermot Fritsch starts his fourth consecutive season in Brisbane as one of the best fielding third baseman in the league.

Who are their best imports?

Ryan Bollinger will be the Bandits ace for a second straight season. A reliable veteran lefty, Bollinger made 10 regular season starts in 2023-24 with a 4.47 ERA and five wins. He led the league with 56.1 innings pitched.

HyungChan Um is back in Brisbane for a second season. A highly touted Kansas City Royals prospect MLB.com ranks him the No. 25 prospect in the Royals organisation. The Korean catcher threw out 11 baserunners in the 2023-24 ABL season while showing pop with four home runs.

Sun Yeop Yook is an intriguing pitcher coming from the KBO’s Samsung Lions. Just 19-years-old he was the fourth overall pick in the 2024 KBO draft and has seen action for Team Korea.

Royals prospect Natanael Garabitos will be another exciting pitcher. He has been clocked throwing over 100 mph.

Give me a breakout star

Max Durrington is already a name well known among the baseball community in Australia. He’ll make his professional debut with Brisbane after signing for reportedly over $1 million AUD with the Oakland Athletics.

The Gold Coast native spent time around the Bandits team last season and will be no stranger to many of his teammates. Durrington will turn 18-years-old a week after the ABL Championship Series.

Projected Opening Starting Lineup / Bios

The Australian Baseball League employs a points system to account for roster spots and import / local balance. The points are in parentheses. Read about the system here.

Information based on player list supplied to ABL on November 1.

C Hyungchan Um (2) [Royals] – The 20-year-old hit for a .248 BA with four home runs while throwing out 11 base runners last ABL season in 30 starts at catcher. Um is now coming off playing 50 games for Single A Columbia in the Royals organisation.

1B- Donald Lutz (4) – The 35-year-old will likely rotate between first base and DH. In his last season of action in 2022-23 eight of his 22 hits went for home runs.

2B- Max Durrington (-2) [Atheltics] – The A’s signed him to either play second base or centerfield. After spending a month training at the A’s facility in Arizona in September, Durrington should be ready to make his pro debut with the Bandits.

SS- Will Riley (-2) – The 25 year old played everywhere for Brisbane in 2023-24 with innings played at five different positions. He hit for a .221 BA in 2023-24. With the absence of Logan Wade from the Bandits infield this season, shortstop will likely be a position of need for Brisbane.

3B- Dermot Fritsch (-2) – The Bandits reigning defensive player of the year played every game in 2023-24 with 35 appearances at the hot corner. Frisch hit for a .245 BA with three home runs.

LF- Brennon McNair (2) [Royals] – A Kansas City Royals prospect, he played 83 games with the Single A Columbia Fireflies in left field. McNair was a 11th round pick in the 2021 MLB draft out of high school in Mississippi.

CF- Alex Skepton (-2) – The reigning ABL rookie of the year spent the majority of his first pro season in centerfield. After hitting for a .330 BA with eight home runs and 23 RBI he’ll be in the heart of the Bandits’ lineup.

RF- Chia-Yen Tsai (1) [Fubon Guardians] – The 22-year-old outfielder for the Fubon Guardians in the CPBL is coming off the best season of his young career hitting for a .256 BA and three home runs in 2024.

DH- Jake Burns (-2) – Plenty of players will likely cycle through the DH position for the Bandits but Burns is a player the Bandits hope to turn into an everyday player in the future. The catcher played three years in the St. Louis Cardinals organisation and was with Sydney over the past three ABL seasons.

Projected Starting Rotation-

LHP Ryan Bollinger (4) – The 33 year-old American has spent time in the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees organisation including on the Yankees big league roster. This is his fifth season in Brisbane. He’s made 30 starts for the Bandits in his career.

RHP Connor MacDonald (-2) – A Brisbane native, MacDonald made a start in all 10 rounds last season for the Bandits. He held a 4.91 ERA with 35 strikeouts and a miniscule six walks in 40.1 innings. MacDonald can also hit with 23 plate appearances and six hits last season with Brisbane.

LHP Gunnar Kines (4) – The 31-year-old southpaw is the new addition to the Brisbane rotation. Kines played last ABL season with Melbourne holding a 3-3 record with a 4.26 ERA in 8 starts. He continued playing during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer in the Mexican Baseball League and the Atlantic League.

LHP Yi-Kai Wang (0) [CTBC Brothers] – The 23-year-old southpaw has appeared in 61 games across five seasons for the CPBL’s CTBC Brothers with a sparkling 2.89 ERA. Wang has totaled 75 strikeouts across 62.1 innings pitched.

Other Players:

INF Liam MacDonald (-2) – Younger brother of Connor, the Brisbane native will make his first full-time appearance with Brisbane. He played his 2024 season in the United States with NCAA Division 1 school Cal Poly.

INF Luke Smith (-2) – Smith played four games for the Bandits in 2023-24. The 19 year-old is a home grown prospect from the City of Moreton Bay just north of Brisbane.

INF Mitch Nilsson (-2) – The veteran has been a part of every Bandits season in the ABL modern era playing in 250 games. The nephew of former Bandits Manager and Milwaukee Brewers All-Star Dave Nilsson he totaled 7 hits in 15 games in 2023-24.

INF Jai-Hong Lin (-2) – The 22 year-old import from the TSG Hawks in the CPBL played 56 games in his 2024 rookie season with a .240 BA.

OF Yao-Huang Lin (1) – Lin played his CPBL rookie season in 2024 with the Rakuten Monkeys appearing in seven games with two hits. He was a fifth round draft pick in the 2022 CPBL draft.

OF Dan Nilsson (-2) – The younger cousin of Mitch, he will play in his seventh season with the Bandits. Nilsson appeared in just two games last season but hit for a .277 BA in 28 games in 2022-23.

RHP Natanael Garabitos (2) – The 24-year-old is the third member of the Kansas City Royals organisation joining the Bandits for the 2024-25 season. His 100 mph fastball has spent five years in the Minor League Baseball system first with the Seatlle Mariners before being traded in March of 2024 to the Royals. Garabitos spent 2024 with the Royals High-A affiliate the Quad Cities River Bandits. He appeared in 34 games as a reliever with a 4.46 ERA across 42.1 innings pitched. A key cog late in games, Garabitos finished 19 games for the River Bandits including two saves.

RHP Sam Holland (-1) – The native Queenslander was 3-2 with a 4.11 ERA in 13 appearances and four starts for the Bandits in 2023-24. Holland has appeared in 122 games for Brisbane- the third most among active ABL players.

RHP Sun Yeop Yook (1) – The 19-year-old right hander from the Samsung Lions of the KBO appeared in 11 games with a 5.29 ERA. He also played for the South Korean National Team in the U18 WBSC World Cup in 2023 allowing just one run in 10 innings pitched across two starts.

RHP Dae Ho Kim (1) – The 23-year-old righty pitcher from the Lions played his rookie season of pro baseball in 2024. He spent the majority of his year with the Lions’ minor league affiliate in the KBO Futures League with a 4.58 ERA in 72.2 innings of work primarily as a starter.

RHP Ching-Jung Chao (1) – Playing for the WeiChaun Dragons, Chao has 80 appearances in his first four years in the CPBL. He holds a 4.40 ERA across 77.2 innings pitched all as a reliever.

LHP Tzu-Wei Lin (1) – The CPBL veteran southpaw has pitched nine seasons for the Uni-Lions since making his debut in 2015. Across 120 appearances, including 23 starts, Lin holds a 5.73 ERA in 191.2 innings.

RHP Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis (-2) – The Canberra native was shuttled back and forth between the bullpen and a starting position last season for Briabane. He finished the year with 10 appearances, 5 starts and a 8.79 ERA across 28.2 innings of work.

RHP Rubens Romero (-2) – A Brisbane native and just 17-years-old, Romero signed a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates in January of 2024. He made 11 appearances for the Pirates’ Dominican Summer League in 2024. Romero stands six feet four inches and has been training at the H3K Latin American Academy in Medellin, Colombia since 2023.

RHP Tom Stancic (-2) – The 20-year-old pitched the last two seasons for Sydney and Canberra respectively with six total appearances. He has also played for Team Australia at the U-23 Baseball World Cup qualifiers.

RHP Declan Summerford (-2) – The 21-year-old from the Gold Coast will make his pro debut this season with the Bandits. He was a member of the U18 Baseball Queensland roster under Bandits Manager Shayne Watson.

RHP Conor Laverty (-2)– Another local prospect from the Gold Coast, Laverty will play his third season with the Bandits. He has pitched in 13 games with a 6.08 ERA including six games finished.

RHP Zak Elvy (-2) – Elvy has national team experience pitching for Team Australia including at the U-23 Baseball World Cup in September. The New South Wales native will make his ABL debut this season at Viticon Stadium.

RHP Miller Bell (-2) – The 20-year-old pitcher is a homegrown talent as an alum of the Bandits Academy program. He pitched the last two years for Clarendon College in Texas.

For Perth Heat’s active roster, click here.

Perth dominated the start of the Australian Baseball League’s re-birth. They went to the first five ABL Championship Series, winning five of them.

The pedigree has remained but the results have changed. The Heat have been in the final game of the season four out of the last five seasons. But they’ve lost each one of their bids to win another championship.

With players from the Tampa Bay Rays and Japan plus a tried, tested & true Aussie core, is this the year the Heat flip the script?

WATER COOLER TALK

Last Season’s Performance: 24-15, finished second. Beat Brisbane in ABLSF 2-1. Lost to Giants 2-1.

What is the storyline of the season?

The Heat have become the bridesmaids of the Australian Baseball League.

They’ve lost the last two best-of-three ABL Championship Series by a score of 2-1. On both occasions, they had a 1-0 lead after game one with two opportunities to claim the Shield.

To add to the wounds, the Heat have been in the ABLCS four of the past five seasons, losing four of them.

They have such a talented Australian core. Can they finally get it done?

What major changes have there been?

The structure of the Heat remains largely the same. There are no player acquisitions from interstate and no Perth player embarked for another destination.

The coach (Andy Kyle) is the same, the affiliation with the Tampa Bay Rays remain. A group of Team Australia talent is back to hunt down the Shield.

The one major move is agreeing to an affiliation with the Korean Baseball Organisation’s NC Dinos. They are sending over four players, including 2023 fourth overall draft selection Shin Yeong-Woo.

Ins: Affiliation with NC Dinos (KBO)
Outs: Affiliation with Houston Astros & Cincinnati Reds.

Who are the locals we should know about?

They’re led by Tim Kennelly. He is often called the GOAT (greatest of all time) in the Australian Baseball League circles.

Kennelly is the ABL’s all-time leader in homers, RBI, hits, and games played. If you thought the 37-year-old was slowing down, think again. Kennelly had a stretch last season where he ripped off ten hits in ten at-bats. He is Team Australia’s captain.

But there are five other mainstays of Team Australia on the Heat. First-baseman Jake Bowey, outfielder Ulrich Bojarski, catcher Alex Hall plus pitchers Warwick Saupold and Will Sherriff have been core reasons the Heat are consistently contenders.

Hall won the ABL MVP in 2023.

has turned into a two-way star. We knew he could slug it, but last year he put up solid numbers as a pitcher. He was their Game 3 starter in the Championship Series.

Warwick Saupold played in the Major Leagues for parts of three seasons with the Detroit Tigers. He also starred for the Hanwha Eagles in the KBO.

Who are their best imports?

The Tampa Bay Rays imports seem to have some speed about them. While they are young, they stole a combined 74 bases with Class-A Charleston in 2024.

The NC Dinos sent over four prospects from Korea. Headlining them is 21-year-old pitcher Shin Yeong-Woo. He was selected fourth overall in the 2024 KBO Draft and features a mid-90s fastball.

Infielder Fumiya Kurokawa has played parts of five seasons in the NPB with the Rakuten Golden Eagles. 

The ever reliable Tyler Beardsley returns for his fifth season as an ABL import starting pitcher. He has consistently been one of the best arms and pitched in the last four Championship Series.

Give me a breakout star!

BJay Cooke. The 21-year-old just finished a season in Class-A with the Athletics organisation. He is naturally athletic, makes plenty of tidy plays in the field. Cooke played 27 games for the Heat in 2022-23.

PLAYER INFORMATION

The Australian Baseball League employs a points system to account for roster spots and import / local balance. The points are in parentheses. Read about the system here.

Information based on player list supplied to ABL on November 1.

C – Enderson Delgado (2)  – A 20-year-old from Venezuela who has already spent three years in the Rays’ system. In 55 games at Class-A Charleston, Delgado hit .255 with four homers and 21 RBI. He helped the RiverDogs reach the postseason this year.

C – Alex Hall (-1) – 25-year-old Hall has made a huge impact on Australian baseball. Hall won the 2022-23 ABL MVP award when he hit for a .360 average with with eight homers and 37 RBI in 38 games. A former affiliate with the Brewers, he has a career .284 average in 213 ABL games. Hall played for Australia at the 2023 World Baseball Classic and is on the Premier12 roster for November.

1B / SP – Jake Bowey (-1) – The 28-year-old is entering his 11th ABL season, but it’s the last two years which saw him break out. Bowey has clobbered 13 homers and 54 RBI across 54 games during the last two seasons, while hitting for a .296 average and .898 OPS. He also started to pitch games for the Heat in 2023-24. He had a 1.93 ERA in 14.1 innings and started Game 3 of the Championship Series. Bowey plays for Team Australia as well.

2B – Jess Williams (-2) – The 25-year-old has built a six season career in the ABL after winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 2017-18. Williams, a former Brewers prospect who had a couple of games in Triple-A, missed two seasons due to injury. Last year in his return, Williams had a .267 average in 30 games.

INF – Fumiya Kurokawa (Rakuten Golden Eagles) (0) – The 23-year-old infielder brings 92 games of NPB experience to the Perth Heat. He’s bounced up-and-down between the majors and minors in Japan, but this year hit .232 in his 22 games at the top level. Out of the draft in 2020, he was a highly touted second baseman with power. He’ll use the ABL to help find his footing.

INF – Byron Armstrong (-2) – The Perth-born 23-year-old played fifteen games for the Heat in his first proper full-season in the ABL in 2023-24. He hit .250 over that stretch and played the middle-infield roles.

INF – BJay Cooke (-2) – The 21-year-old is coming back to Perth after a full-season with the Athletics, where he primarily played at the Class-A level. Cooke is known for his defensive abilities and played for Australia at the U23 World Cup.

INF – Angel Mateo (2)  – The 19-year-old Dominican hit .224 in his first full season above Rookie Ball while playing with Class-A Charleston River Dogs. He brings speed to the bases, chalking up 26 stolen bases in 2024. He spent time playing all three positions in the outfield.

INF – Ben Nesbit (-2) – 17-year-old Nesbit is a promising WA prospect who starred for the Eastern Phantoms at the Senior League World Series and for the U18 Australian national junior squad.

SS – Carlos Colmenarez (Rays, 2) – The 20-year-old from Venezuela just finished his first full season in Class-A. He also represented Spain at the recent European championships. With the Charleston RiverDogs, he only hit .202 but he had a .357 on-base-percentage, working 54 walks over the course of 94 games. Carlos Colmenarez hit one homer with 42 RBI and 15 stolen bases. At one time, he was rated the #19 prospect in a talented Tampa Bay Rays’ organisation.

OF – Ulrich Bojarski (-1) – The 26-year-old brings ABL experience and five years with the Detroit Tigers minor league teams. He is a career .281 hitter in the ABL with 28 homers and 113 RBI in 192 games. The Team Australia star had his best season in 2022-23 when he hit for a .353 average with eight homers and 35RBI. He missed half of last season due to injury.

OF – Tim Kennelly (-1) – Kennelly, 37, leads the all-time modern-day ABL lists in home runs (62), RBI (241), games played (414) and hits (478). Kennelly has also played in four World Baseball Classics for Australia. He reached as high as Triple-A in a long minor league career. He is the captain of the Heat. He is just the GOAT.

OF – Jhon Diaz (Rays, 2) – The 21-year-old outfielder split time between Class-A Charleston and High-A Bowling Green in 2024. He hit .206 in 107 games this season, hitting 14 homers with 50 RBI and 30 stolen bases. The native of the Dominican Republic has some pop, especially for a player who stands at just 5’8.

OF – Sean Garratt (-2) – A 31-year-old who has played State League in Western Australia set to make his ABL debut. His WA State League club is the Victoria Park Belmont Reds.

RHP – Warwick Saupold (-1) – Saupold is one of Australia’s most accomplished players. He is one of just 38 Australians to ever play in the Major Leagues. The 34-year-old pitched for the Tigers from 2016-18 and in Korea with the Hanwha Eagles from 2019-20 before returning to Australia. Saupold has started 18 games and ate nearly 100 innings over the last two seasons for the Heat.

LHP – Will Sherriff (-1) – 22-year-old Sherriff was on Australia’s World Baseball Classic Roster in 2023 and will play for his country at the upcoming Premier12. The last two seasons, Sherriff has become a reliable high-leverage innings pitcher. He trained with top-level Japanese outfit Rakuten Golden Eagles in the off-season.

RHP – Kieren Hall (-2) – 23-year-old Hall pitched his rookie ABL season for the Heat in 2023-24 after a four year college career highlighted by a stop with NCAA Div 1 program Evansville. Hall pitched for Australia at the recent U23 World Cup.

RHP – Jordan Power (-2) – The 25-year-old returns for his third ABL season. His best year came in 2022-23, when he tossed 35.0 innings with a 5.66 ERA. Power pitched for Toledo in the NCAA.

RHP – Sam Kennelly (-2) – The 28-year-old was once an infielder in the Pirates’ organisation. He recent converted to become a pitcher. He had a 2.45 ERA in seven appearances and looks to have an expanded role in 2024-25.

RHP – Shin Yeong-woo (신영우) (NC Dinos, 1) – Shin seems to be the prized possession of the lot. The 21-year-old was the fourth overall selection in the 2023 KBO Draft. The right-handed arm appeared in four KBO games in May, allowing 11 earned runs in 9.2 innings. He spent the rest of his time in the minor leagues. Shin heads to Australia for some more seasoning.

RHP – Won Jong-hae (원종해) (NC Dinos, 1) – 19-year-old Won Jong-hae was selected in the seventh round of the 2024 draft, and has yet to appear in the top flight of Korean baseball this season.

LHP – Seo Eui-tae (서의태) (NC Dinos, 1) – The 27-year-old is with his second KBO team. He first appeared in 2018 with Nexen. He signed with the NC Dinos in 2024 and has appeared in 11 games, allowing eight runs for a 9.36 ERA in the top division.

LHP – Park Ji-han (박지한) (NC Dinos, 1)- 23-year-old lefty Park Ji-Han has yet to appear in the KBO. He was drafted in the 2019 KBO Draft.

RHP – Nick Alexiou (-2) – The 33-year-old from Canada has since moved to Western Australia. He appeared in five games and 3.2 innings last season, allowing just one earned run.

LHP – Tom Bailey (-2) – The 32-year-old has played in eight ABL seasons and has played for the national team in the past. He has a career 5.61 ERA in 178.0 innings.

RHP – Tyler Beardsley (4) – This is the 30-year-old American’s fifth ABL season. He played one season with the Adelaide Giants (2019-20), one with the Aces (2020-21) and now three with the Heat. Beardsley has reached the ABL Championship Series every season, winning once with the Aces in 2021. He has a career 3.92 ERA in the ABL and has been one of the league’s premier starters. Beardsley spent 2024 split between Kane County (American Association) and the Mexican League.

LHP – Todd Hatcher (-2) – The 22-year-old from Perth appeared in three games last season, his debut ABL year, allowing six earned runs in 3.2 innings.

RHP – Dariel Fregio (4) – After a four year college career at St. Leo, Fregio has pitched the last two seasons with the Washington Wild Things in the Frontier League. He has an ERA hovering around the 4.00 mark in 30 starts over the two seasons in the Frontier League.

RHP – Jai Hewitt (-2) – 18-year-old Hewitt played in a few games for the Heat in 2023-24. He represented Australia at the 2023 U18 World Cup. Son of Heat legend Jason.

RHP – Matt Kennelly (-2) – A four-time ABL Champion making a return to the ABL. He previously was a position player who reached as high as Triple-A. Now, he turns his talents to the mound.

RHP – Sam Kennelly (-2) – The 28-year-old was once an infield prospect with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He’s since converted to a pitcher and was a WA State League All-Star in 2024. He allowed just two earned runs in 7.1 innings pitched last season.

LHP – Raleigh Pelkonen (-2) – A Western Australian returning home from college. Pelkonen played at Arizona Western College.

LHP – Joseph Ranford (-2) – He appeared in four games last season for the Heat, after returning home from Campbellsville College.

RHP – Tucker Smith* (4) – The 27-year-old had a 1.29 ERA in 14.0 innings for the Heat last year. He started 20 games for Trois-Rivieres in the Frontier League in 2024, going 8-4 with a 3.24 ERA.

For Adelaide Giants active roster, click here.

The Adelaide Giants enter the 2024-25 season as the two-time defending champions. Can they make it a third?

WATER COOLER TALK

Last Season’s Performance: 29-11. Finished first. Won ABLCS (2-1 over Perth)

What is the storyline of the season?

A quest for a dynasty.

Giants’ general manager Nathan Davison put it really well on a podcast with Luke Hughes.

“You can’t win three in a row without winning the first two.”

The Giants ended a 43-year Claxton Shield drought for South Australia in 2023 and backed it up again with a second straight title in 2024.

A win this season, and they join only the Brisbane Bandits who have won three straight championships. Two wins in a row is great, three is dynastic.

What major changes have there been?

Not heaps – you don’t need to tinker with a championship squad.

But, the Yomiuri Giants will send import players to the Giants this season in a new partnership with the Asian baseball powerhouse.

Triple-A Australian pitcher Blake Townsend makes the move from Melbourne to Adelaide, and former Fans Choice Player of the Year Niko Hulsizer moves from Perth (2019-20) to the shores of West Beach.

Nikau Pouaka-Grego joined the Giants in 2022 but has only played four games total because of an injury. The highly-touted 20-year-old seems ready to take on a starting role.

Ins: Blake Townsend (Melbourne), Niko Hulsizer (Perth, 2019-20), affiliation with Tokyo Giants
Outs: Affiliation with Samsung Lions

Who are their best locals?

It’s a team that boasts six players on Australia’s Premier12 squad. Not included in those six? Reigning league MVP Lachlan Wells, who dished out a perfect record and a 0.94 ERA in 47.2 innings last year.

South Australia is home to Australia’s only two players to appear in a Major League game in 2024 – Curtis Mead (Rays) and Jack O’Loughlin (Athletics). O’Loughlin is expected to pitch in the back part of the season when he returns on December 4.

Other key Australians include Todd Van Steensel, who is just four saves away from ABL career save #45 – a number that would equal Ryan Searle for the most in modern-day league history.

Arguably the most popular player in Adelaide is their captain, Jordan McArdle. The powerful left-handed bat has a knack for coming up clutch. The 26-year-old is entering his eighth ABL season and has already notched 226 games to his name.

Players on Australia’s Premier12 Roster: Dan McGrath (LHP), Mitch Neunborn (RHP), Blake Townsend (LHP), Todd Van Steensel (RHP), Rixon Wingrove (1B) and Liam Spence (Util).

Who are their best imports?

Let’s start with Nick Ward. The infielder has finished second in MVP voting for two straight seasons. In 78 career ABL games, Ward has a .334 average with 17 homers, 49 RBI and two championships. He can hit and play multiple infield positions.

The Giants professional affiliates are the Yomiuri Giants (NPB) and Philadelphia Phillies (MLB).https://youtu.be/NpWaXhzcui0?si=7ZTiiNxT3vOci-aD

Yuto Akihiro headlines a contingent of players from top-level Japanese side Yomiuri Giants. Akihiro is the tallest Japanese professional baseball player in history, played for the national team at the 2023 Asia Professional Championships, and hit .273 in a full-season in the NPB in 2023.

There are five Philadelphia Phillies’ minor leaguers coming over. The most intriguing may be left-handed starter Matt Osterberg. He boasted the lowest ERA of all Phillies’ minor league starters in 2023, has pitched in A-Ball, and scouts claim his command of the zone.

Niko Hulsizer was voted the ABL Fan Favourite in 2019-20 when he played for the Perth Heat. He returns to Australia five years later looking to replicate a season where he finished second in homers.

What about a breakout candidate?

Let’s go with Nikau Pouaka-Grego. The 20-year-old started the season ranked in the Top 30 Phillies’ prospects. He pretty much missed the last two ABL seasons with a knee-injury and the Australian seems eager to prove what he can do.

PLAYER INFORMATION

The Australian Baseball League employs a points system to account for roster spots and import / local balance. The points are in parentheses. Read about the system here.

Information based on player list supplied to ABL on November 1.

C – Luis Caicuto Jr (2) – A Phillies minor leaguer. The 21-year-old Venezuelan just finished his first full season in the Phillies’ organisation, hitting .218 in 65 games across Low-A Clearwater and High-A Jersey Shore.

C – Louie Albrecht (2) – A Phillies minor leaguer. 22-year-old Albrecht has only played 18 minor league games in his first two seasons as a professional. He starred for Washington State University in college. Albrecht has been injury plagued and his really hoping for a solid true start to his career in Australia.

1B – Rixon Wingrove (-1) – Wingrove has turned into a fan favourite, entering his fifth season with the club. He’s signed with the Minnesota Twins. He has a career .267 average in 144 ABL games with 20 homers and 97 RBI. He’s coming off his best ABL season where he posted an .833 OPS.

INF – Nick Ward (2) – Ward returns for a third season in the ABL. He spent the 2024 minor league season as a member of the Atlanta Braves organisation. Ward is also a member of Great Britain’s national team, and played for them in the World Baseball Classic. The infielder has finished second in MVP voting for two straight seasons. In 78 career ABL games, Ward has a .334 average with 17 homers, 49 RBI and two championships.

INF – Nikau Pouaka-Grego (-2) – 20-year-old Pouaka-Grego just finished his first full playing season in the Phillies’ organisation where he reached as high as Low-A. He started the year as a top 30 prospect in the Phillies’, so they clearly view him highly. He has a great bat and can play second, short or third. He’ll be an early season rookie of the year candidate.

SS – Trent Farquhar (2) – A 23-year-old Phillies prospect. There’s a lot to like about Trent. In 2023, he led the Big Ten (NCAA) in double plays turned while hitting .343 for Michigan State. The Phillies signed him as a Free Agent after the draft. In 2024, he played at four levels – Rookie, Low-A, High-A and Double-A. In 78 combined games he hit .285 with 1HR and 23RBI while playing some solid defense.

INF / OF – Liam Spence (-1) – Spence is versatile, having played six different positions last season and boasting one of the league’s best defensive percentages. The 26-year-old is hitting .281 with a .408 OBP across his first two Australian Baseball League seasons. He is a former Cubs prospect, reaching as high as Triple-A.

INF – Zach Altamura – Likely a development player, 17-year-old Altamura is one of South Australia’s rising stars. Currently weighing up professional and college offers, Altamura will likely factor into Australia’s U18 National Squad.

INF – Diego Gonzalez (2) [Phillies] – A 21-year-old Venezuelan prospect who played 66 games across four levels (Triple-A, High-A, Class-A, Rookie) with a .258 average. He is versatile, playing shortstop, second base and third base.

OF – Briley Knight (-2) – The hero of the 2024 ABL Championship series, Knight has etched his name in Giants’ folklore by taking a tremendous, run-saving catch late in the ball-game and driving in the winning run in the Championship Series. Not bad for a rookie season. Knight spent the 2024 off-season playing for the Billings Mustangs in the Frontier League.

OF – Jordan McArdle (-1) – The captain. 26-year-old McArdle is the face of the Giants. The powerful left-handed bat has a knack for coming up clutch. He is entering his eighth ABL season and has already notched 226 games to his name. He has 32 homers and 120 RBI in his seven ABL seasons.

OF – Niko Hulsizer (4) – 27-year-old Hulsizer reached as high as Triple-A while he was a member of the Tampa Bay Rays organisation. In 2019-20 he played for the Perth Heat, finishing second in the ABL in homers and winning the Fan’s Choice Award. He has since played top-level in Venezuela & Mexico.

OF – Yuta Akihiro (1) – He was a regular part of the Tokyo Giants lineup in 2023, hitting .274, before falling out of favour in 2024. Akihiro is Japan’s tallest ever professional baseball player and was on their national team in last year’s Asia Professional Baseball Championship. He is only 22-years-old and with 120,000 instagram followers is one of the more popular characters in Japanese baseball.

OF – Drew Davies (-2) – Davies, an 18-year-old South Australia, made his ABL debut late last season. He just finished his first year as a professional baseball player, after signing with the Cincinnati Reds in early 2024.

UTIL – Nic Paparella – Paparella made his ABL debut late last season. The 18-year-old South Australian went 2-for-13 in his four games. He has experience with Australia’s U18 National Squad.

RHP – James Bradwell (4) – The import pitcher just dominated the Frontier League. The 26-year-old Canadian went 12-0 with a 2.72 ERA en route to winning a league title and the Pitcher of the Year.

LHP – Jack O’Loughlin (-1) – O’Loughlin became Australia’s 38th player to ever reach the Major Leagues in May when he received a call-up from the Athletics. He has a reputation of getting the ball in big moments both for the Giants and for Team Australia. He started Game 3 of the Championship Series in 2023 and for Australia in the game which helped them advance to the quarterfinals.

LHP – Lachlan Wells (-2) – Wells was brilliant in his return to the mound in 2023-24. His 0.94 ERA was one of the best marks of all-time and he was rewarded with the MVP award and a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. He spent 2024 in Double-A in the Phillies’ organisation, where he was the team’s top starting pitcher.

LHP – Matt Osterberg (2) – A Phillies’ import. The 25-year-old starting pitcher spent almost all of 2024 in Double-A, one of the best competitions in the minor leagues. He played with the Reading Fightins along with Giants’ teammates Mitch Neunborn and Lachlan Wells. He posted a 5.24 ERA in 86.1 innings in Double-A this year. In 2023, while in High-A Jersey ShoreBlue Claws, he was one of the best pitchers on the team. Osterberg pitched 92.1 innings with a 3.63 ERA. He led the entire minor league organisation in ERA and WHIP for starters. He has a career 3.84 ERA in 300.1 innings throughout his four year minor league career.

LHP – Oscar Nakaoshi (1) – The Brazilian / Japanese arm returns for a third ABL season and a second with the Giants. The 32-year-old had a 1.05 ERA in 25.2 innings pitched in 2023-24. He previously spent two seasons in the NPB with the Hiroshima Carp.

RHP – Todd Van Steensel (-1) – He’s been on the national team for over a decade and is one of the ABL’s best ever relief pitchers and personalities. Van Steensel is chasing history. He’s sitting at 41 career ABL saves, just four shy of the all-time record set by Ryan Searle (45). Van Steensel was the closing pitcher for the Giants’ last two Championships. He pent the first ten years of his ABL career with the Blue Sox.

LHP – Blake Townsend (-1) – One of the big signings of the off-season. Townsend is just 23, has already pitched in Triple-A, is a prospect with the Pittsburgh Pirates and has played for Australia at the World Baseball Classic. He makes the move from the Melbourne Aces.

RHP – Ky Hampton (-2) – 25-year-old Hampton is ready for his first full ABL season. The Adelaide-product returned from five years in NCAA in the middle of the 2023-24 season and was instantly given the ball in high-leverage situations, including the playoffs.

RHP – Jason Lott (-2) – 29-year-old Lott was one of the bounce back stories of the 2023-24 season. The year prior, he struggled with command and was left off the playoff roster. Last year, he developed a new pitch and posted a 1.86 ERA – good for second among all Australian relief pitchers.

RHP – Darcy Longstaff (-2) – The 19-year-old hopes to make his mark in his rookie season. The Victorian is affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds, where he spent the last season in Rookie Ball.

RHP – Konsta Kurikka (4) – A right-handed pitcher from Finland who is known for his exploits in Finnish baseball.

RHP – Estibenzon Jimenez (2) – One of the Phillies’ imports. The 22-year-old Venezuelan showed a lot of promise in his 2023 season while playing in Low-A Clearwater. He had a 3.60ERA with 78 strikeouts in 90 innings. This season, in High-A, he had a 7.02 ERA in 82.0 innings with 85 punch outs. He spent half the season as a starter and the other half as a reliever in his 27 games. He was voted as having the best change-up in the Florida State League in a Baseball America poll in 2023. His fastball touches 95mph.

RHP – Makoto Kyomoto (1) – A Tokyo Giant. The 20-year-old is an exciting Japanese prospect. He made his NPB debut this season, pitching four games, allowing two runs in five innings. He has spent the previous three seasons pitching in the Eastern League, the Japanese minors, where he has a career ERA of 3.00. He was drafted 7th in the NPB Training Draft in 2021.

LHP – Ryusei Yamada (1) – The 23-year-old has yet to appear in the NPB but he is putting together his best minor league season yet. In the Eastern League, he boasts one of the best ERAs – a 1.65 mark in 27.1 innings. He starred for Japan at the U18 World Championships and is considered a strong prospect.

RHP – Riley Yeatman – The 20-year-old South Australian has ten innings of ABL experience to his name. The former San Diego Padres prospect will look to build on his brief professional experience in 2024-25. Yeatman returns to baseball after missing all of last season due to Tommy John Surgery.

The Melbourne Aces lost a heartbreaker to the eventual champion Adelaide Giants last year in the Preliminary Final.

It’s a team with loaded talent and expectations.

They’re strong on paper, but can they finally break through to win their first title since 2021?

WATER COOLER TALK

Last Season’s Performance: 21-19. Finished fourth. Lost in semi final series to Adelaide (2-1)

What is the storyline of the season?

Loaded talent. Loaded expectations.

The Aces have a team full of talent. They have five current players on Team Australia, three former Major Leaguers, championship pedigree and three top-end players from the NPB.

Darryl George and Aaron Whitefield have three Helms Awards between them.  Shawn Morimando has won an ABL Pitcher of the Year.

It’s boom or bust for the Aces.

What major changes have there been?

Not a large amount.

The Aussie core of Aaron Whitefield, Robbie Glendinning, Jarryd Dale, Mitch Edwards, Darryl George, Chris Burke & Steve Kent remains the same.

Greg Bird is back for a second season.

Shawn Morimando is probably the biggest pitching addition. He has twice reached the Major Leagues (2016, 2021), was the 2021 ABL Pitcher of the Year with the Canberra Cavalry, and has a KBO and CPBL Championship to his name.

The Wei Chuan Dragons of the CPBL (Taiwan) are sending two players to the Aces for the first two weeks of the season.

Ins: Shawn Morimando (Canberra, 2021), Billy Parsons (Canberra) and partnership with Wei-Chuan Dragons

Outs: Jon Kennedy (Canberra), George Callil (Canberra), Lewis Thorpe (Puerto Rico)

Who are their best locals?

This positional line-up is built around four current Team Australia stars – outfielder Aaron Whitefield and infielders Darryl George, Jarryd Dale and Robbie Glendinning.

All of them have serious pedigree. Whitefield has two stints in the Major Leagues to his name and is a two-time league MVP. Darryl George is also a league MVP who is climbing all the major all-time lists in nearly every category. Dale is a young star who has already played Triple-A. Robbie Glendinning boasts one of the best batting averages in ABL history.

On the pitching side, it’s hard not to look past Steve Kent. He is an all-time great who is near the top of most ABL pitching records, has played Triple-A, and represented Australia in three World Baseball Classics.

Who are their best imports?

There are three names who jump off the page.

The first is Greg Bird. He played four full seasons with the New York Yankees and even belted crucial playoff home runs. He returns for a second ABL season. The 31-year-old led the league with 11 homers and 40 RBI in 2023-24.

There’s also former MLB pitcher Shawn Morimando. He had two stints in the Majors – one in 2016 with Cleveland and the other in 2021 with Miami. He is the 2021 Australian Baseball League Pitcher of the Year after putting up dominating numbers with Canberra. Since then, he’s pitched four years in the CPBL (Taiwan), winning two titles, and another year in the KBO where he also won a championship. This is a big haul for the Aces.

Kyosuke Saito is a promising Orix Buffaloes import (NPB). The 19-year-old has a 3.67 career ERA in 37.2 innings over the past two seasons.

Give me a breakout star!

Jarrod Belbin. The 24-year-old has just nine ABL games to his name but he spent the last two years in the Mariners’ organisation.

Previously, the Australian hit .301 over his time with Campbell University in the NCAA. He has yet to have a regular taste of action, but he has a sweet looking swing. He could find himself a fixture in the Aces’ line-up sooner than we think.

PLAYER INFORMATION – ROSTER

The Australian Baseball League employs a points system to account for roster spots and import / local balance. The points are in parentheses. Read about the system here.

Information based on player list supplied to ABL on November 1.

Potential Starting Line Up

C – Mitch Edwards (-2) – Edwards is with his fourth ABL team after spending time with Melbourne, Canberra & Adelaide. He moved to the Aces in the middle of the 2023-24 season. The 25-year-old hit .273 with a homer and 8 RBI in 21 games for the Aces last year. He is a former Phillies’ prospect with 167 ABL games to his name.

C – Declan Speirs (-2) – Speirs is one of 30 Australians currently with an MLB affiliate contract. The 19-year-old, who is a Phillies prospect, will be entering his official rookie season. He’s appeared in nine ABL games before. Speirs played for the Rookie League team of the Phillies in 2024 and has experience with Australia’s U18 national team.

1B – Greg Bird (4) – One of the biggest profile imports in the ABL. Bird spent four seasons with the New York Yankees, slugging 32 homers in 186 games, becoming somewhat of a cult-hero. He returns for a second year in the ABL after he led the league with 11 homers and 40 RBI in 2023-24. Bird, 31, hit for a .317 average with 18 homers in 71 games with Jalisco in the Mexican League in 2024.

1B – Arturo Disla (2) – This 24-year-old Texas Rangers prospect has some serious pop. He hit 19 homers in 121 minor league games in 2024 across Class-A and High-A. He also drove in 71 runs in his second year as a full-time professional.

INF – Jarryd Dale (-1) – It’s hard to believe Dale is just 24. He enters his eighth ABL season with a career .249 average in 216 games. Dale has also won two championships. He has 372 minor league games of experience to his name with the San Diego Padres, reaching Triple-A in 2023. Dale played for Team Australia.

INF – Robbie Glendinning (-1) – With a .317 career ABL batting average, Glendinning ranks third all-time in modern-day history. He enters his third season with the Aces after spending five with the Perth Heat. Glendinning has reached as high as Triple-A in the minor league system and spent 2024 playing in the Mexican League.

INF – Darryl George (-1) – One of the all-time ABL greats. George has won a Claxton Shield, an MVP and is climbing the list of many of the modern-day records. George ranks fourth all-time in hits (344), tenth in homers (39), seventh in RBI (175) and eighth in games played (357). He is a mainstay on Team Australia’s roster.

INF – Jarrod Belbin (-2)– The 24-year-old Victorian impressed enough at Campbell University in the NCAA to sign with the Seattle Mariners in 2023, where he spent two years in the minor leagues. Belbin has played just nine ABL games but projects to be a regular player with the Aces this season.

INF – Chun-Wei Liu (1) – From the CPBL’s Wei Chuan Dragons. Liu made his CPBL debut this season and provided speed and stout defense at shortstop for the Dragons. Despite offensive struggles during his rookie season, he made sure his opportunities on base counted, swiping seven bags in eight opportunities – good for fourth most on the team.

UTIL – Jared Cruz (-2) – At 28, Cruz is entering Year 11 in the ABL. The former Astros prospect has played 177 ABL games with a career .203 average and versatility in abundance. He can play both infield and outfield. Cruz has won two Championships with the Aces.

OF – Chris Burke (-2) – It’s hard to believe the 23-year-old is entering Year 7 with the Aces. He’s already won two Claxton Shields and spent time in the minors with the Royals / Phillies. Australia’s U23 captain has a .225 average in 100 ABL career games.

OF – Aaron Whitefield (-1) – Whitefield is one of 38 Australians to play in the Major Leagues. He appeared in games for the Minnesota Twins in 2020 and the LA Angels in 2022. This is Whitefield’s third season with the Aces. He played for the Giants from 2018-20 where he won a league MVP. Whitefield won three championships with the Bandits from 2015-18 and collected his first league MVP honours. 28-year-old Whitefield is the league’s all-time stolen base leader. He finished the 2023-24 season on a 16 game hit streak.

OF – Shun Ho Wang (1) – From the CPBL’s Wei Chuan Dragons. Wang was primarily a centerfielder for the Dragons, but also saw limited time at the corners. Despite a slow start, he finished the season showing signs of improvement, slashing .318/.333/.386 over the season’s final 15 games. 2024 marked his fourth year in the CPBL after making his pro debut in 2021 at 19 years old.

OF – Antonis Macias (2) – A 19-year-old from the Texas Rangers organisation who can play outfield and a bit of second base. The Mexican U18 National Team star played between Rookie League and Class-A this minor league season.

UTIL – Chris Proctor (4) – 27-year-old Proctor has three years of minor league baseball experience, reaching as high as Triple-A with the Detroit Tigers in 2021. He has spent the last three seasons playing with the Lancaster Barnstormers in the Atlantic League. Born in North Carolina, he spent three years playing college ball for Duke University in the ACC.

P / INF – Mitch Ellis (-2) – 29-year-old Ellis has experience with the Kansas City Royals organisation and brings tremendous versatility both as an infielder and a pitcher. He is a Melbourne local, born in Bundoora. Fourth season with the Aces after ABL debut in 2018 with Brisbane.

RHP – Taiki Ono (0) – The 29-year-old has six seasons of NPB baseball to his name. He spent five years with the Hanshin Tigers before heading to the Orix Buffaloes in 2023. While he only pitched six innings in the NPB in 2024, he did post a 2.08 ERA in 26.0 minor league innings.

LHP – Shawn Morimando (0) – A former Major League pitcher. He played for the Cleveland Indians in 2016 and the Miami Marlins in 2021. This season will mark Morimando’s second stint in the ABL after pitching for Canberra in the 2020-21 season, where he was recognized as the league’s best hurler. Over eight outings and six starts for the Cavalry, he posted a 2.57 ERA through 42 innings of work. Moreover, the lefty recorded 47 strikeouts to lead the team and limited opponents to a .219 batting average. He also pitched four years in Taiwan’s top league (CPBL) and a year in Korea for SSG Landers (KBO)

LHP – Steve Kent (-1) – He is truly one of the greats of the ABL. Kent has pitched for 13 seasons in the ABL, 11 with Canberra and two with Melbourne. He has pitched 392.0 innings with a career 3.83 ERA. Kent spent six seasons in the minors, reaching as high as Triple-A. Kent is well positioned on many of the all-time pitching lists.

LHP – Evan Rutckyj (4) – The former New York Yankees farmhand will return for his third summer with the Aces, and fourth in the ABL, after posting a 3.73 ERA over 35 relief appearances during his first two seasons in Melbourne. Rutckyj also pitched in 14 games for Adelaide during the 2019-20 ABL campaign. Rutckyj is a regular on Canada’s national team and has reached as high as Triple-A.

RHP – Jack Enciondo (-2) – The 27-year-old returns for his seventh ABL season. He has a 5.93 over 74+ innings. He’s been used as both a starter and reliever in his time with the Aces.

RHP – Cameron Gibbens (-2) – Cameron Gibbens was very productive out of the bullpen for the Aces last season. In what was his fourth year with the club, he pitched to a 3.60 ERA over 20 innings. The 6’8” righty fanned 23 hitters and limited opponents to a .156 batting average. Gibbens is a former prospect of the LA Dodgers, reaching Double-A in 2022.

RHP – Kyosuke Daito (1) – From the Orix Buffaloes. The 20-year-old had his first taste of regular NPB action this season. In eight starts, he had a 4.06 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 37 innings. He’s one of the younger players on the team with a high level of potential.

RHP – Kyle Morrison (-2) – Morrison is a Melbourne native who will make his Australian Baseball League debut this season. In recent years, the 6’4” righty relocated to play college baseball in America. Over the last two seasons, he pitched at Florida Memorial University, an NAIA program. During the 2024 campaign, he tossed 29.1 innings and pitched to a 4.91 ERA. He flashed the ability to go deep into games for the Falcons, tossing six innings or more in two of his seven outings.

RHP – Pavin Parks (4) – A 27-year-old who can pitch and play in the infield. Parks spent 2024 with Evansville in the Frontier League where he hit .283 in 54 games, while posting a 2.51 ERA in 14.1 innings.

RHP – Johnathon Tripp (4) – The journeyman will join the Aces after completing his third season in the American Association. Over 19 starts with the Cleburne Railroaders in 2024, he registered a 2.97 ERA over 112 innings of work. He provided the Railroaders with plenty of length, amassing six innings or more in 11 of his 19 starts. Over his last six outings, including one postseason start, he allowed just 10 earned runs over 35 innings.

RHP Billy Parsons (-2): The 25-year-old from Victoria has become a star in the Frontier League over in the USA. He was a 2023 All-Star and has a 2.69 ERA over the last two seasons. Parsons was one of the Cavalry’s top arms in 2023-24, posting a 3.73 ERA in his third ABL season.

RHP – Joey Steele (4) – He returns to the Aces for a second season. In 2023/24, Steele pitched in 19 games for the Aces and provided plenty of punch out of the bullpen. The California native boasted a 1.40 ERA while striking out 33 hitters over 25.2 innings of work. Moreover, the right hander was a model of consistency, tossing scoreless outings in 18 of his 19 appearances. After his debut season in Melbourne, Steele took his talents to Canada, where he joined the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association. In 2024, he made 17 relief appearances, registered a 2.41 ERA, and secured seven saves, tying him for the team lead.