MLC 2025: Matthew Short's Perfect Season and the Numbers Behind America's T20 Spectacle

MLC 2025 has officially concluded with MI New York reclaiming the title after a five-run win over Washington Freedom on July 14. Beyond the tense finale, the numbers reveal how the tournament unfolded and which players stood out most.

Across 34 matches in Oakland, Grand Prairie, and Lauderhill, the season produced record centuries, several standout all-rounders, and consistently high-scoring games. Here’s what the data from our context-based rating model shows about the players and trends that defined America’s growing T20 league.

Matthew Short: Setting the Benchmark

San Francisco’s Matthew Short produced one of the most well-rounded seasons in MLC 2025. The Australian all-rounder scored 204 runs off 101 balls and took 3 wickets for 57 runs. What set him apart was his consistency across match situations.

Key Ratings:

• Overall Rating: 100

• Batting Consistency: 100

• Batting Aggression: 72.6 (third in the tournament)

• Run Restriction: 100 (yes, he topped the bowling economy metric too)

Our model rewards players who deliver across different contexts, and Short exemplified that adaptability. High strike rate in low-scoring games? Check. Controlled bowling under pressure? Check. In a format defined by unpredictability, he became the standard for reliability.

Mitchell Owen: The Underrated All-Rounder

Washington Freedom’s Mitchell Owen delivered one of the most complete performances of the tournament, finishing with a 95.2 rating, second only to Matthew Short.

Owen led his side’s batting charts with 288 runs at a strike rate of 211.8 and also claimed 9 wickets. These weren’t incidental wickets but key breakthroughs that shifted games in Washington’s favor.

Owen’s Two-Way Impact:

• Batting Aggression: 72.3 (third overall)

• Wicket-Taking Frequency: 64.8 (sixth among all bowlers)

• 288 runs at SR 211.8 + 9 wickets for 184 runs

This is exactly the type of player our model highlights: one who contributes across disciplines and expands tactical options for the captain. Owen’s performances weren’t about chasing numbers; they directly influenced outcomes with both bat and ball.

Finn Allen’s 34-Ball Century: Pure Chaos, Executed Perfectly

Let’s talk about one of the standout innings of the tournament—maybe even the year. Finn Allen walked out in the season opener and dismantled the Washington Freedom attack, smashing 151 off just 51 balls. His century came in 34 deliveries, the fastest in MLC history and the second-fastest ever in any franchise T20 league (only Chris Gayle’s 2013 IPL century was quicker).

That innings powered the Unicorns to 269/5, the highest team total in MLC history. It was more than power hitting; it was precision and control.

Allen's Tournament Stats:

• Overall Rating: 87.1

• Batting Aggression: 100 (perfect)

• 298 runs at an outrageous strike rate

The only disappointment? A mid-season injury ruled him out of the playoffs, cutting short what could have been a historic campaign. That opening night set a standard players will be chasing for years.

Haris Rauf: Precision at Pace

While most eyes were on the big hitters, Haris Rauf was taking apart batting lineups with precision. The Pakistani fast bowler topped the charts with 16 wickets, earning an 82.1 overall rating and a perfect 100 in wicket-taking frequency.

What stands out isn’t just the number of wickets but how he took them. Rauf combined pace with control, attacking with intent while staying composed. His run-restriction score of 67.9 shows he wasn’t bowling for highlights; he was methodical, smart, and surgical.

Rauf's Numbers:

• 16 wickets (tournament leader)

• 211 runs conceded from 139 balls

• Wicket-Taking Frequency: 100

• Run Restriction: 67.9

This is the kind of bowler every T20 captain wants: aggressive yet disciplined, capable of shifting a game within an over. San Francisco’s attack had depth, but Rauf gave it direction and bite.

San Francisco's Dominance (and Playoff Collapse)

San Francisco Unicorns entered the playoffs unbeaten. They broke records, topped nearly every statistical category, and looked unstoppable.

Unicorns' League Stage Stats:

• Highest batting average: 35.4

• Highest batting strike rate: 177.5

• Best bowling average: 22.58

• Best bowling strike rate: 14.5

• 200+ totals in four of six matches

• Hit 79 sixes (most in the tournament)

Six of the top 10 rated players in our model wore Unicorns colors. They had it all: explosive batting, disciplined bowling, and match-winners across the lineup.

And then they lost in the Eliminator.

That’s the volatility of T20 cricket. One off day, one inspired performance from the opposition, and everything changes. The data backed the Unicorns as the best team, but the outcome reminded us why the format remains unpredictable.

How Did Our Predictions Hold Up?

Our model achieved 65% accuracy in the knockout stages — a respectable result in T20 cricket, where a single over can flip an entire match.

What the model got right:

• San Francisco’s early dominance

• Texas Super Kings’ strong league performances

• MI New York’s playoff resilience

Where it fell short:

Individual brilliance. When players like Kieron Pollard or Nicholas Pooran take over a game, no model can fully quantify it. That’s the beauty (and the frustration) of T20 cricket: the numbers can map the trends, but they can’t predict moments of genius.

The goal isn’t flawless prediction. Rather, it’s to understand which teams are built on a strong statistical foundation and which players consistently deliver impact beyond the scorecard.

Breaking Down the Four Metrics (Quick Refresher)

For those new here, our rating system is built on four context-adjusted metrics:

1. Batting Aggression: Strike rate adjusted for match conditions. Scoring 150 in a low-scoring contest carries more weight than doing it on a flat pitch.

2. Batting Consistency: Measures reliability across innings, accounting for match situations and opposition quality.

3. Run Restriction: Economy rate adjusted for venue averages. Conceding 7 RPO when others are going for 9+ is strong bowling.

4. Wicket-Taking Frequency: Bowling strike rate adjusted for conditions and weighted by total wickets.

Together, these metrics spotlight players whose impact extends beyond raw numbers. Matthew Short leading both Batting Consistency and Run Restriction reflects the balance he brought to the tournament and his effectiveness in every phase of play.

Three Tournament Trends That Stood Out

1. Batting First Paid Off

In 2024, chasing sides won 13 of 22 matches. This season, teams batting first won 9 of 17 completed games. Whether it was sharper total-setting or more challenging surfaces, batting first no longer felt like a disadvantage.

2. Dallas Was a Run-Fest

San Francisco Unicorns’ 269/5 and 246/4 were the two highest totals of the season. The Seattle Orcas’ chase of 238 against MI New York set a new record for the league’s highest successful chase. The top three successful chases in MLC history all came this year. All in Dallas. Venue mattered.

3. All-Rounders Set the Tone

The top-rated players — Matthew Short, Corey Anderson, and Glenn Maxwell — all contributed with both bat and ball. Modern T20 rewards versatility, and this season proved it: players who influenced games in more than one way defined the tournament.

The Bottom Line

MI New York lifted the trophy, but Matthew Short defined the season. His perfect 100 rating captured what defines success in T20 cricket: consistency, adaptability, and composure under pressure.

MLC’s second full season, with 34 matches across three venues and ICC List A status, reflected a league finding its rhythm. From Finn Allen’s record-breaking innings to San Francisco’s statistical dominance, the standard of play backed it up.

The data tells a simple story: power wins matches, but balance wins tournaments. That’s exactly what our model is built to reveal.

See you for MLC 2026.

All player ratings generated using T20 Analytics' context-adjusted performance model. Check out our full MLC 2025 ratings for detailed metrics on every player.