Surging Phillies top prospect crowned ABL finals MVP after dominant run down under

The 2025-26 Australian Baseball League season has drawn to a close, and the Philadelphia Phillies have their fingerprints all over the championship-winning Adelaide Giants. Eight current (plus a few former) Phillies prospects and farmhands made all the difference as Adelaide took home their third title in the past four seasons.

While all eight played important roles for the Giants, center fielder Devin Saltiban was named championship series MVP.

The 20-year-old Saltiban bounced back nicely from a rough minor league season last summer by posting an excellent .899 OPS and leading the ABL with 29 RBIs in 36 games with the Giants. The Hawaiian outfielder, who ranks as the Phillies' No. 14 MLB Pipeline prospect, stood out during the championship series with his highlight-reel defensive plays, as well as a terrific three-game series in which he smashed a home run and struck out only twice.

Devin Saltiban, seven other Phillies minor leaguers lead Adelaide Giants to another ABL championship

There were plenty of other Phillies making noise at the plate in Adelaide. Phillies No. 27 prospect Alirio Ferrebus served as the club’s everyday catcher, while slugging outfielder Raylin Heredia posted a ridiculous .327/.373/.545 line in 15 games. Shortstop Jose Colmenares went nuclear with a 1.297 OPS in his 17 games with the Giants, and outfielder Manolfi Jimenez put up a solid .771 mark.

On the mound, the Giants employed three Phillies minor leaguers in Camron Hill, Giussepe Velasquez, and Danyony Pulido. All three struggled during the regular season, but Velasquez and Hill combined for five innings of three-run ball in Game 2 of the championship series, while Pulido tossed a scoreless ninth inning to close out the decisive third game.

There were also two notable former Phillies farmhands in starting pitcher Josh Hendrickson and infielder Nick Ward. The former league MVP Ward posted an absurd .943 OPS in his final ABL season and capped off his fantastic four-year ABL career with another ring. The southpaw Hendrickson played four seasons in the Phillies system, making it as high as Triple-A in 2023. The 28-year-old twirled 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball for the Giants in the deciding Game 3.

Last but not least of the Phillies connections is Giants manager Chris Adamson, a former catcher who spent the 2025 minor league season as the bench coach for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The 37-year-old Aussie has piloted the Giants to three titles in the past four seasons, cementing a dynastic run for the club.

The modern Australian Baseball League has produced loads of high-quality talent since its inception back in 2010, including former Phillies stars Rhys Hoskins, Didi Gregorius, and Cristopher Sánchez. The Phillies have been sending developing players to the Giants for years now, and if the latter’s lasting success is any indication, perhaps the Phillies will produce a championship of their own in the near future.