Kellin Deglan played just 12 games for Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach in the Carolina League last season, and just two of those were against Winston-Salem. That late-August pair of games and an encounter that came with them, though, has seemingly altered the arc of Deglan's professional career and put him in the record books over 8,000 miles from home.

An invitation from Winston-Salem manager Tommy Thompson, on the opposing side of many of Deglan's games in the South Atlantic and Carolina Leagues over the last two seasons, got the Rangers prospect considering an offseason Down Under.

"I didn't think much of it at the time when he asked me, but I thought about it for a few days and decided I wanted to do it," Deglan said. "I told the Rangers. They were all for it, and we decided to make it happen."

What has transpired since has been a defining stretch in Deglan's young career. As a member of the Melbourne Aces, the catching prospect has learned a new position, primarily playing first base, and has continued his development as a power hitter.

"I think my hitting coach down in Hickory, Bobby Rose, helped me a ton this year," Deglan said. "He got my swing mechanics right. Also my assistant hitting coach Travis Adair was really helpful to me. I thank those guys for getting my swing right. Here, I'm just taking what I learned there and going out and playing. I haven't changed my swing at all. I'm just going out there, competing. I feel great at the plate."

The lessons from Deglan's Minor League season have turned him into a star in Australia. Entering play two weeks ago at Canberra, the 22-year-old had homered 11 times in 32 games and still had five series left to challenge the modern ABL single-season record of 15 homers in a season. He wasted little time in breaking it. In his first three Round 10 games, Deglan bashed five jacks to move into the top spot since the league was restarted for the 2010-11 season.

"When I had 11 home runs coming into the series against Canberra, I was starting to notice I had a pretty good lead in the home run race," he said. "Then I found out that the record was 15, and that's when I really started thinking about it. I really wanted to break that record. I felt like I've been seeing the ball great out here."

Deglan's offensive showcase has been even more impressive when juxtaposed with his move to a new position in the field, one necessitated by the Aces' catching depth that includes Phillies prospect Chace Numata.

"The first games, I was a little nervous," Deglan said. "I haven't played first base since high school, and I played it just a little bit in high school. It's been a while since I've played first, but now I'm getting really comfortable over there. It's not the hardest position on the field, so I'm getting better over at first.

"It's been better learning a new position and giving my legs a little more of a rest. I caught 100 games during the [Minor League] season. Just getting everyday at-bats has been huge for me."

Deglan, the Rangers' first-round pick in 2010, and his Texas teammate and former second-rounder Cody Buckel have soaked up the experience in Melbourne. Both hope the season will help restore some of their top prospect status, as well.

"When [my teammates] ask me how it went, I'm going to let them know baseball's not the No. 1 sport out here like it is back in the States, but there's a lot of passion about baseball in this country," Deglan said. "It's a good league. There's really good talent in this league. You travel to the nicest cities, all the biggest cities in the country. You see the country from coast to coast, play four games a week, practice twice a week, so you're here to get better. It's just a great place to get better."

In brief

Perth rising: A season ago, Rockies prospect Joey Wong dazzled with his glove, winning the ABL's top defensive award and earning himself a place as a fan favorite for the Perth Heat. When the offseason approached this year, he only had one idea in mind.

A year after winning a league title, Wong rejoined the Heat for the 2014-15 ABL season, and his team is rounding into form as the playoffs near. Perth has won 12 of its last 18 games to pull into second place in the league standings, and Wong has been one of the reasons for the surge. The shortstop has lifted his average from .260 to .290 with 11 hits in his last six games.

"My ability to adapt and play in different situations has been upgraded by [the ABL] experience," Wong said recently. "My teammates took me in last year and made us feel like family right off the bat. That was huge.

"Mostly, I'm working on just my approach at the plate. I've been working on that a lot, changing some things about what I'm looking for, how I'm going about different counts."

Wong and the Heat would host the league's lone semifinal series with a trip to the ABL Championship Series in Adelaide on the line if the season ended today.

Back in Black[ley]: Former Melbourne starter Travis Blackley is headed back to the States. The southpaw, who has seen big league time with the Mariners, Giants, A's and Astros, signed a Minor League deal with San Francisco this week. Blackley spent last season as a member of the Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.

New era: Former Major Leaguer Justin Huber has announced that this ABL season will be his last. The Aces star signed his first professional contract with the Mets at 18 years old and saw action at the big league level with the Royals, Padres and Twins from 2005-09. Huber has played five years for his hometown club in Melbourne, compiling a .252/.346/.398 slash line in 169 games. In retirement, Huber won't be going far. He will take over as the Aces' general manager after the conclusion of the 2014-15 season.