The Australian Baseball League (ABL) recently announced its 2024-25 season award winners, and Baseball NSW are proud to recognise the NSW & Sydney Blue Sox players who have been recognised!
These are outstanding achievements for many of our players who have come through the BNSW Pathways and are excelling in the ABL.
Award Winners:
- Alex Wells – Helms Award: Awarded to the Most Valuable Player in the 2024-25 regular season, Alex Wells made a huge impact in his return to the ABL and the Sydney Blue Sox! A consistent performer on the mound, he had a dominating season with the SBS and it was so great to see him back out there!
- Jaylin Rae – Rookie of the Year: In his first year back from college, Jaylin Rae was a spark plug for the Sydney offense. The 23-year-old hit .292 with 14RBI in 35 games. He stole eight bases and made numerous highlight reel efforts at second. A versatile athlete who can play multiple roles on a team.
- Alex Wells – Pitcher of the Year: Alex was honoured as the ABL’s Pitching Champion for the 2024-25 season. He led the league with an impressive ERA of 1.55 and secured six wins, showcasing his dominance on the mound.
- Brook Knight – Manager of the Year (Sydney Blue Sox): Brooke Knight helped lead a remarkable turnaround of the Sydney Blue Sox in his first season at the helm. In two seasons from 2022 to 2024, the Blue Sox won just 23 games. In 2024-25, Sydney won 24 games and claimed their first minor premiership in 14 years. Sydney played an aggressive game on the base paths, relying on a team-based approach to cause chaos and generate runs. They were backed up by the best pitching staff in the ABL.
- Paul Latta – Umpire of the Year: The Far North Coast local Paul’s leadership – both on and off the field -is truly inspiring and this award is evidence of recognition of his on field work. Paul has consistently been viewed as one of Australia’s best umpires, and this is evidenced by appointments in the ABLCS for the last six years.
Nominations:
- Jo Stevens – Rookie of the Year
- Ben Nash – Umpire of the Year
- Coen Wynne – Relief Pitcher of the Year
- Sydney Blue Sox and Blacktown Venue Management – Playing Surface of the year: Honourable mention to the BVM Staff lead by Jack Parker, who made significant upgrades to BISP in the lead up and throughout the 2024/25 ABL season! Jack and his team are extremely solid and would manage to get games on at Blacktown even in the face of inclement weather, when in some cases it looked impossible! Well done Jack!
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to to all award nominees and recipients for the Sydney Blue Sox for their remarkable contributions to the team. Their dedication and hard work have been instrumental in this historical season.
For a complete list of award winners and nominees, please visit the ABL’s official announcement.