ABL Championship Series Wrap

James Lane

The 2025 Australian Baseball League season ended with one of the most unlikely championship outcomes in recent memory, as the Adelaide Giants upset the Sydney Blue Sox to claim the ABL title.

Sydney entered the Championship Series as clear favourites after finishing the regular season with a dominant 24–14 record. Adelaide, by contrast, scraped into the postseason with a 19–20 mark and were widely viewed as underdogs heading into the three-game series in Sydney. Over the weekend, however, the Giants proved that form lines mean little once the postseason begins.

Game 1: Giants 3 d. Blue Sox 2

The series opened with a dramatic reversal that immediately shifted momentum. Sydney appeared in control after building a 2–0 lead, holding Adelaide scoreless deep into the contest. The Giants refused to go away, tying the game in the eighth inning before producing the decisive run in the ninth to steal a one-run victory on the road.

The late comeback stunned the home crowd and handed Adelaide an early series advantage.

Game 2: Blue Sox 6 d. Giants 1

Sydney responded in emphatic fashion on Saturday night. Returning to the brand of baseball that had carried them through the regular season, the Blue Sox controlled the game from start to finish. Strong pitching and timely offence allowed Sydney to level the series, restoring confidence and setting up a winner-take-all decider.

At that point, the series appeared to be swinging back toward the favourites.

Game 3: Giants 6 d. Blue Sox 2

Instead, Adelaide delivered the performance of their season. In a decisive and composed showing, the Giants outplayed Sydney across nine innings to claim a 6–2 victory and the ABL Championship.

Despite entering the postseason with a losing record, Adelaide executed when it mattered most, silencing the Sydney bats and capitalising on their opportunities at the plate. The win sealed one of the most surprising championship runs in league history.

An Unexpected Champion

Adelaide’s title run is a reminder of baseball’s unforgiving and unpredictable nature. Over a long season, Sydney were the competition’s most consistent team. Over three games, Adelaide were simply better when it counted.

For the Giants, it is a championship built on resilience and timing. For the Blue Sox, it is a painful end to an otherwise outstanding season. For the ABL, it is another postseason that reinforces why no lead, no record, and no expectation is ever truly safe.