Australian sports media members voted on the mid-season ABL all-star team. Out of the 22 players selected to the mid-season all-star team, the majority of the players are from the Blue Sox, Cavalry, and Giants rosters. Additionally, the only member of the Brisbane Bandits to be named a mid-season all-star was infielder Brandon McNair.
Sydney Blue Sox ace pitcher was selected as the starting pitcher for the mid-season all-star. Firstly, Wells was the obvious choice for this nomination because he is the best pitcher on the best team. However, one can easily argue that Wells is the best pitcher in the ABL. Wells has been reliable all year for the Blue Sox, boasting a 3-1 record.
Wells consistently goes deep into games, pitching the third most innings so far this season. Out of all the pitchers who have pitched more than 17 innings this season, Wells has the best ERA by far. With a 1.30 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP in 27.2 innings of work, Wells is more than deserving of being the starting pitcher for the ABL mid-season all-star team.
Jai-Hong Lin should most definitely be on the mid-season all-star team. Lin boasts an impressive batting average of .342 and an OBP of .419. Although Lin does not hit for power, since becoming an everyday player for the struggling Brisbane Bandits, he has been a terrific contact hitter who has also shown the ability to steal bases.
Jaylin Rae should be the backup second baseman on the mid-season all-star team over Lin. The only reason that Rae is being considered for this position is because he is playing for the Sydney Blue Sox who have been dominant this year. If Lin were a member of the Blue Sox with the numbers he is currently putting up, he would be starting in the middle infield for the mid-season all-star team.
The mid-season all-star team is a great way to keep people engaged and talking about the ABL. With another half of the ABL season to go, we will see if these players can continue to play at an all-star level or if players left off the list will take their position on the end of the year all star team.
