✉️ PTB ICYMI

What I've learned about sport(s) over the last few months

In addition to the regular Friday newsletter, every few months this year I’ve been sending subscribers a brief recap of all the work that has recently been published at Plot the Ball — in case there’s anything you’ve missed.

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What I’ve learned over the last three months

🏏 Harry Brook’s ability to pair intent with batting skill is unmatched in modern test cricket

No one else combines attacking intent and high skill like Brook does. His adjusted average — 18 runs per dismissal above expectation — is in the same tier as Root’s, but he scores at a much faster rate than other elite test batters.

🏏 Phoebe Litchfield is having her best year as a T20 boundary-hitter

So far in 2025, the 22-year-old has recorded an effective boundary rate 10.3 percentage points higher than other batters in her matches.

🏏 Davina Perrin is already one of England’s best top-order hitters in T20

Perrin recorded an effective boundary rate 5.0 percentage points higher than the other batters in her games.

🏏 Ahead of a home World Cup, Indian opener Smriti Mandhana is ticking along in top gear

Along with Laura Wolvaardt of South Africa and Tammy Beaumont of England, Mandhana is one of three active players to have averaged at least 10 runs per dismissal more than the other top-order batters in their games.

🏏 No other T20I opener has ever scored as quickly as Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek’s strike rate is 60 runs per 100 balls better than the other openers in the matches that he’s played.

🏏 Australia run the other top teams in women’s cricket off their feet

Over this period, their non-boundary strike rate is 48 runs per 100 balls; other top teams in aggregate score just 43.

🏏 Kuldeep Yadav’s exemplary record might make India rethink their conservative test approach

[D]uring the World Test Championship era, both his bowling average and strike rate have been miles better than the other spin bowlers who have played in the same tests as he has.

🏏 Leg-spinner Alana King is nailing her restrictive role at this World Cup

Across her 32 overs, she has conceded an average of 3.8 runs per over; other spin bowlers in her games have gone at an economy rate of 5.3 in aggregate.

🏏 South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt has matured into a multi-faceted ODI batter

Wolvaardt’s last two years have been her best yet: in both 2024 and 2025, she has scored over eight runs per 100 balls more than the other top-order batters in the ODIs she has played.

🏏 Entering the Ashes with an ageing pace attack, Australia might need Nathan Lyon to step up

He’s bowled more overs than anyone else since the start of the World Test Championship in August 2019 — and his wickets have cost 12 runs less than those of other spinners in the matches he’s played, on average.

🏏 Teen all-rounder Caoimhe Bray is already contributing as a bowler

[S]he has bowled 70% of her available allocation over this period — the third-highest usage rate of any bowler on her team.

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⚽ Spain’s approach in attack was much more focused at Euro 2025

This year, they were more focused: Esther González had 34% of the team’s xG by herself — and only one other player was above 10% of the team’s total.

⚽️ Leading the line for Real Madrid, star forward Kylian Mbappé has prioritised quantity over quality

He moved further away from goal as his career in Ligue 1 progressed, and this has continued so far in La Liga: the average quality of his non-penalty shots at Madrid has been lower than it ever was at PSG.

⚽️ Accurate shooting underpins Clàudia Pina’s xG outperformance

[O]nly one player in Europe’s top five leagues added more value in aggregate to their open-play shots…than Pina did last season.

⚽ Erling Haaland is taking even better shots despite a heavier workload

Haaland’s average non-penalty shot has been worth 0.30 expected goals so far this season — in the same ballpark as his best year at Dortmund.

⚽️ Despite the club’s financial issues, Barça Femení are back on track — for now

After this week’s big win over Bayern Munich in Europe, Barcelona have climbed to a mark of +3.4 adjusted goals per game across their last 20 — with almost all of their improvement coming in attack.

⚽ Xabi Alonso’s improved Real Madrid are still short of full strength

[T]wo players who appeared in more than two thirds of the available minutes last season…have played fewer than 25% in 2025-26.

⚽️ Seeking another Nations League title under a new manager, Spain can rely on a familiar strength

According to data released by Hudl Statsbomb, Spain were by far the most accurate European team with the ball under pressure for the third major tournament in a row.

⚽️ Consistent selection made Arsenal a contender — and new talent might finally take them to a title

By 2022-23, it was clearly trending upward — and they were selecting the most consistent line-ups of the ‘big three’ for almost the entirety of the next two seasons. So far in 2025-26, however, this number has slightly dropped off.

⚽️ Vicky López and Barça’s other teenagers are playing more this season

[P]layers aged 19 or younger have accounted for just over 16% of all minutes…so far in 2025-26 — up from a 6% share last season.

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🏀 Dominique Malonga is playing more — and staying close to the basket

Malonga has shot only 13 three-pointers all season, and her field-goal attempts so far have been taken from 6.7 feet away on average.

🏀 With characteristic flair, Marine Johannès is building her case as the best shooter in the WNBA

No one who can match or better her career success rate of 38.1% takes as many threes per 36 minutes as she does — and none of the five players who shoot them more frequently are anywhere near as accurate.

🏀 Luka Dončić is carrying a heavier load than ever for Slovenia at EuroBasket 2025

During their historic run to gold at EuroBasket 2017, the 18-year-old Dončić was an important player for Slovenia — but not a dominant one. Two tournaments later, he’s indispensable.

🏀 The Fever improved a lot this season — even without Caitlin Clark

Even without Clark, the team did manage to step up another level in 2025: their average scoring margin was +3.4 points per game this regular season.

🏀 Deandre Ayton was a top NBA Draft pick — but the Lakers don’t need him to play like one

Earlier in his career, though, Ayton proved that he can be an efficient complementary piece on a competitive NBA team. In two of his five seasons with the Phoenix Suns, his scoring efficiency ranked in the 85th percentile among ‘bigs’.

🏀 Luka Dončić has improved his scoring — without getting to the rim

[A]round 20% of his shot attempts have come from between 10 and 16 feet — and he’s converted 58% of them.

🏀 Victor Wembanyama’s midrange shooting has dropped off this year

[H]is shooting from the short midrange has deteriorated: he’s taking 18% of his attempts from between three and 10 feet, but converting only 36% of them.

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🏉 On the eve of a Rugby World Cup, some of New Zealand’s top talent is playing by different rules

A contract only lasting a few months isn’t enough to make a living. As a result, it’s not a surprise that players who don’t earn full-time Black Ferns deals look elsewhere for income — including to the 13-a-side version of the game.

🏉 The Springboks remain the strongest team in the world — despite mixed results so far in 2025

South Africa come out well ahead of their peers in the men’s game: their recent performances make them 12.2 points per game better than the average ‘Tier 1’ side.

🏉 Ireland don’t need to dominate with the ball to top their World Cup pool

During the WXV 1 competition in Vancouver last year, Ireland overcame New Zealand despite being outperformed in the running game.

🏉 Canada have earned their place in the Rugby World Cup final by excelling with ball in hand

Of the two teams in tomorrow’s final, it’s Canada — and not favourites England — who are more reliant on their running game to progress the ball upfield: 58% of their metres gained this tournament have come from carries.

🏉 Passing is still a weak point in Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s game

The Springboks’ other two 10s have completed 3.6 passes for every carry they’ve made; Sacha has completed just 0.7.

🏉 Reece Walsh — the NRL’s most dangerous attacker — is getting his chance for the Kangaroos

Walsh has scored or assisted 1.7 tries per 80 minutes since joining the Broncos at the start of 2023; during this period, he has also created 2.4 line breaks per 80 for himself and others.

🏉 Ireland’s attack has declined considerably since the 2023 World Cup

[T]hey scored six points per game more than average at that time, but today — after losing to New Zealand last week — the team sits at an ‘attack rating’ of +2.

🏉 Sevens star Jorja Miller was as explosive an attacker as advertised at the Rugby World Cup

According to data published by Opta during the tournament, Miller beat a defender once every 1.2 carries she made — a better rate than stars like Ellie Kildunne, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe and Asia Hogan-Rochester.

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⚾️ No one gives MLB hitters less time to think than Jacob Misiorowski

Put simply, the lithe 23-year-old throws extremely hard: his average fastball velocity is in the 99th percentile among MLB pitchers.

⚾️ By one key metric, Yoshinobu Yamamoto has barely regressed in MLB

[H]is K-BB% so far in MLB is 21.2% — well above league-average, and only a single point lower than what he managed over his final three NPB seasons.

⚾️ With the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani is throwing harder — and pitching better — than ever before

Ohtani’s underlying performance has also been excellent. He is striking out more batters than he did in an Angels uniform, while also allowing fewer walks and giving up fewer ‘hard-hit’ batted balls.

⚾️ Working out of the Dodgers bullpen, Roki Sasaki is back in control

Heading into Game 1 of the World Series…Sasaki has already faced 29 batters in the postseason — and only issued two walks.

⚾️ Yoshinobu Yamamoto doubled his workload during LA’s playoff run

During this regular season, Yamamoto…completed 12% of all innings pitched by the Dodgers. In the playoffs, his share almost doubled to 23%.

⚾️ Munetaka Murakami’s contact skills might not be good enough in MLB

The Fangraphs verdict was blunt: unless he is able to improve the mechanics of his swing, “he basically can’t be a good MLB hitter”.

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🏈 Arch Manning is now behind his uncles on the QB development curve

Peyton and Eli respectively recorded 586 and 482 combined passing and rushing attempts; so far at Texas, Arch has registered just 123.

🏈 Patrick Mahomes is relying on his legs an unusual amount this season

Mahomes’ 123 rushing yards so far account for 22.6% of his total yardage — the highest share over any two-game stretch of his career to date.

🏈 The Jaguars still aren’t sure how to deploy Travis Hunter on defence

[H]e has featured on more than 60% of the team’s defensive plays twice in five games — and twice he has featured on fewer than 20% of them.

🏈 Patrick Mahomes is attempting deeper passes again for the Chiefs

[H]is completed passes have travelled a yard further in the air than they did in 2024 — and his incompletions are averaging two more air yards per attempt.

🏈 Drake Maye is one of the few NFL QBs bringing back the deep ball

So far this season, each attempt of Maye’s is travelling 8.9 yards in the air — one of the highest marks in the league, and up 23% from last year.

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🏒 Connor Bedard’s shot rate has remained low to start the NHL season

Bedard has taken 12 total attempts in 86 even-strength minutes — a rate of around 8 per 60, down from 13 per 60 last year and 15 in 2024-25.

🏒 18-year-old Matthew Schaefer already looks a solid NHL defender

[O]nly two players at Schaefer’s position have immediately stepped up to the NHL level after being drafted and taken on such a heavy workload.

🏒 Macklin Celebrini is already great at getting his team on the power play

Celebrini is one of 99 forwards to have played at least 1,600 minutes…he’s drawn a penalty offence from an opponent more frequently than all but four of them.

🏒 For the first time in his NHL career, Connor Bedard is showing glimpses of elite finishing skill

For the first time in his career, his shooting percentage is several percentage points higher than you’d expect based on the location of his attempts, per Evolving Hockey.

🏒 Already a Canadian hockey legend, Sidney Crosby has earned his shot at another gold medal

Over this period, the Pittsburgh Penguins veteran has provided around 319 goals of value above the average NHL skater in aggregate — 64 more than the next-best player.

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⛳️ Scottie Scheffler’s PGA Tour success is still all about his approach play

No one else comes close in this skill category: the next-best player gains just 0.9 shots per round over the average tour pro.

⛳️ Standout amateur Jackson Koivun might be America’s next top golfer

Since 2011, per Data Golf, only three amateur golfers have bettered Jackson Koivun’s current skill level.

⛳️ American star Nelly Korda has regained her consistency — if not her winning habit — in 2025

That hasn’t been a recurring feature of her close losses, though: according to the advanced data available at LPGA.com, she has gained strokes on the greens in four of her other five top-five tournament finishes.

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🎾 Carlos Alcaraz has edged ahead of Jannik Sinner after outserving his rival at the US Open

In the short term, though, there are ominous signs for Sinner. On average, his rival landed 63% of his first serves in at the US Open, and won 84% of the resulting points; the Italian landed 56% of his own in play, and won 81% of them.

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This is the final edition of the newsletter for 2025. Plot the Ball will be back in your inbox on a regular basis in January.