| Melbourne Aces | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Location | Melbourne, Victoria |
| Ballpark | Melbourne Ballpark |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Post-season championships | 2 (2019–20, 2020–21) |
| Division championships | 2 (2016–17, 2020–21) |
| Colours |
|
| Ownership | Brett Ralph and Shaun Ralph |
| General manager | Justin Huber |
| Manager | Jon Deeble |
The Melbourne Aces are a professional baseball team based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia that previously competed in the Australian Baseball League. Their home field is the Melbourne Ballpark in Altona.
History
[edit]On 20 August 2010 it was announced that ex-Australian Baseball player Philip Dale would take up the head coaching role at Melbourne Aces.[1]
On 12 October 2010, it was announced by newly appointed General Manager Windsor Knox that the Aces would play home games at a redeveloped Melbourne Showgrounds.[2]
In their inaugural season the Melbourne Aces qualified for the finals before being defeated in the semi-finals series against the Adelaide Bite.
On 24 March 2011 the team announced Jet Couriers as their naming rights sponsor for the 2011–12 season.[3]
On 13 July 2012, after many rumours and internet hype, the Melbourne Aces finally announced that they will move from their home field at the Showgrounds to the Melbourne Ballpark in Altona.[4] The move has annoyed and ostracized many Aces supporters from the South Eastern suburbs, but it was the only viable option for them to continue playing in the ABL. The Showgrounds was deemed to be an unsuitable field to play on in the 3rd season. The main reasons being the Aces would not be the sole occupants of the field, having to compete with carnivals, horse shows, music festivals etc. The Showgrounds were also alleged to be booked out until late December, meaning the Aces would have to find a different home venue for the first half of the season.
The Aces won their first ABL championship in 2020 when they defeated the Adelaide Giants in the 2020 ABL Championship Series 2 games to 0, bringing the Claxton Shield to Victoria for the first time since 2010, the 24th time a team from Victoria has won the shield.[5]
Withdrawal from the ABL
[edit]On April 28, 2025, after what the club described as "years of discussions with the ABL regarding unresolved concerns," the Melbourne Aces announced their decision to withdraw from the ABL ahead of the 2025–26 season.[6] They also announced plans to compete in the Korea Baseball Organization's Ulsan-KBO Fall League beginning in October 2025, while hosting several games against KBO clubs at Melbourne Ballpark in January and February 2026.[7]
The Aces opened the 2025–26 campaign in October with a strong showing in the KBO Fall League, posting a 9–2 record in league play before falling 1–0 in the semifinals to the Lotte Giants. Following their stint in Korea, the club hosted six three-game series against the Black Sox Road Warriors, Killer B’s, New Zealand Diamondblacks, Downunder Travellers, the Hanwha Eagles, and the KT Wiz, finishing with an overall record of 22–7–1 while winning five of the six series.[8] Off the field, the team saw notable developments. On December 24, 2025, shortstop Jarryd Dale signed a six-figure contract with the Kia Tigers of the KBO League.[9] Less than a month later, on January 11, 2026, former MLB pitcher Danny Duffy made his debut for the Aces.[10] Following the conclusion of the season, Dale, Ulrich Bojarski, Chris Burke, and Aaron Whitefield represented Australia in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.[11]
Season‑by‑season
[edit]| Melbourne Aces | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season[12] | League | Overall | Win % | Finish[a] | Manager | Playoffs |
| 2010–11 | ABL | 18–21 | .462 | 4th | Philip Dale | Lost semifinal series (ADE) 2–0 |
| 2011–12 | ABL | 21–24 | .467 | 2nd | Philip Dale | Lost major semifinal series (PER) 3–1 Won preliminary final series (SYD) 3–2 Lost championship series (PER) 2–1 |
| 2012–13 | ABL | 15–31 | .326 | 6th | Philip Dale | Did not qualify |
| 2013–14 | ABL | 22–24 | .478 | 4th | Philip Dale | Did not qualify |
| 2014–15 | ABL | 15–31 | .326 | 6th | Tommy Thompson | Did not qualify |
| 2015–16 | ABL | 20–35 | .364 | 6th | Joe Vavra | Did not qualify |
| 2016–17 | ABL | 26–14 | .650 | 1st | Jon Deeble | Lost championship series (BRI) 2–0 |
| 2017–18 | ABL | 17–23 | .425 | 4th | Jon Deeble | Lost semifinal (BRI) 1–0 |
| 2018–19 | ABL | 23–17 | .575 | 2nd (Southwest) | Jon Deeble | Lost wild card (CAN) 1–0 |
| 2019–20 | ABL | 23–17 | .575 | 2nd (Southwest) | Jon Deeble | Won semifinals series (AUC) 2–0 Won championship series (ADE) 2–0[13] |
| 2020–21 | ABL | 19–9 | .679 | 1st | Allan de San Miguel | Won semifinals (CAN) 1–0 Won championship (PER) 1–0 |
| 2021–22 | ABL | Season cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic) | ||||
| 2022–23 | ABL | 15–21 | .417 | 3rd (Southwest) | Peter Moylan | Did not qualify |
| 2023–24 | ABL | 21–19 | .525 | 4th | Jon Deeble | Lost semifinal series (ADE) 2–1 |
| 2024–25 | ABL | 18–22 | .450 | 5th | Jon Deeble | Did not qualify |
| 2025–26 | KBO Fall | 9–2 | .818 | 1st (Group A) | Jon Deeble | Lost semifinal (LOT) 1–0 |
| Independent | 13–4–1 | .750 | — | None | ||
| ABL totals | 273–308 | .470 | — | — | 12–15 (.444) 2 championships | |
- ^ Melbourne competed in the Southwest Division during the 2018–19, 2019–20, and 2022–23 seasons.
Current roster
[edit]| Active roster | Coaching staff | |||
| Pitchers Right-handed pitchers
Left-handed pitchers
|
Catchers
Outfielders
|
Manager Coaches 👁 Disabled list | ||
| 26 September 2025. | ||||
Melbourne Aces MLB Players
[edit]This is a list of Melbourne Aces players who have played in Major League Baseball (MLB), including their nationality, through the 2025–26 season.
- 👁 Venezuela
Ronald Acuña Jr. - 👁 United States
Greg Bird - 👁 Australia
Travis Blackley - 👁 Australia
James Beresford - 👁 United States
Dylan Cozens - 👁 United States
Darin Downs - 👁 United States
Danny Duffy - 👁 United States
Adam Engel - 👁 United States
Brian Flynn - 👁 United States
Jeremy Guthrie - 👁 United States
Mark Hamburger - 👁 Australia
Brad Harman - 👁 United States
Jason Hirsh - 👁 Australia
Luke Hughes - 👁 Australia
Justin Huber - 👁 South Korea
Byung-hyun Kim - 👁 United States
Ryan Lavarnway - 👁 Australia
Shane Lindsay - 👁 United States
Matt Marksberry - 👁 Australia
Peter Moylan - 👁 South Africa
Gift Ngoepe - 👁 Canada
Jacob Robson - 👁 United States
Shane Robinson - 👁 Australia
Lewis Thorpe - 👁 United States
Virgil Vasquez - 👁 Australia
Aaron Whitefield - 👁 United States
Delmon Young - 👁 United States
Randy Wynne
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ Stockman, Jennifer (20 August 2010). "Aces set to soar as Dale takes the Pilot's seat". Melbourne Aces. Australian Baseball Federation. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
- ^ "New Home For Melbourne Baseball Hits Fever Pitch" (Press release). Government of Victoria (Australia), Minister for Sport & Recreation. 12 October 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
- ^ "Aces announce Jet Couriers as major sponsor". 24 March 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
- ^ "Aces New Home is the Melbourne Ballpark". 13 July 2012.
- ^ "Aces sweep Giants, claim first ABL title". 8 February 2020.
- ^ "Melbourne Aces have sensationally quit the Australian Baseball League ahead of the 2025/26 season". Flashscore. 28 April 2025. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ "Melbourne Aces Begin an Exciting New Chapter". Melbourne Aces. Melbourne Aces. 28 April 2025. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ "Melbourne Aces". Ballclubz. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
- ^ "A Season for the History Books". Melbourne Aces. Melbourne Aces. 2026. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
- ^ "World Series Champion Danny Duffy's Debut in Australia (Full Game Highlights)". YouTube. Melbourne Aces. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
- ^ "4 Aces Stars Named to Team Australia for 2026 World Baseball Classic". MelbourneAces. Melbourne Aces. 2026. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
- ^ "Melbourne, Australia Encyclopedia". Retrieved 21 March 2026.
- ^ "Melbourne Aces claim first Claxton Shield". Retrieved 21 March 2026.
External links
[edit]
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