MLC's Batting Average Elite: Hetmyer and Smith Above 50
July 7, 2026 · CricketStudio · How to cite
1The Finding
Hetmyer (66.5) and Smith (56.0) lead MLC's career batting average table — both above 50 across at least 6 innings. 10 MLC batters career-average above 40.
2What the Numbers Show
| Metric | Value | Sample / Context |
|---|---|---|
| Hetmyer (Texas Super Kings) | avg 66.5 / SR 192.8 | 399 runs, 6 innings |
| Smith (MI New York) | avg 56.0 / SR 150.7 | 504 runs, 9 innings |
| Pienaar | avg 50.6 / SR 129.7 | |
| Bravo | avg 49.67 / SR 153.6 | |
| Head | avg 48.0 / SR 174.1 | |
| Sample floor | 5+ innings | For inclusion in average table |
3Why It's Surprising
T20 career batting averages above 50 are rare. The format compresses averages — fast scoring, short innings, aggressive approaches produce more dismissals per run. In IPL 2026, Kohli's season average was 42.1. Hetmyer's MLC career average of 66.5 across 6 innings places him in rarefied air. Smith at 56.0 across 9 innings is not a small-sample artifact. MLC attracted proven global talent from its first season — the averages reflect batting depth at the top of the order against competitive international attacks.
4Scope and Limits
- MLC career figures (Cricsheet CC BY 3.0), all seasons 2023–2025. Minimum 5 innings for inclusion.
- Different opposition quality, venue dimensions, and bowling attacks compared to IPL.
- Small-sample caveat: Hetmyer (6 innings), Pienaar, and others have limited innings.
5Provenance
CricketStudio aggregation of Cricsheet MLC corpus (CC BY 3.0). data/_season-stats-mlc.json, all seasons 2023–2025. Computed 2026-07-07.