BIG KEV'S BBQ

BIG KEV'S BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 19 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 5th of 53 at the Hudson Valley Ribfest (2019). They are ranked #6273 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “Big Kevs BBQ”.

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At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#6,273

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1413

peak 1413 · rated over 19 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Apr 19, 2013

latest May 15, 2026 · 13.1 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#856

Master 2020 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

5% of 19 contests

Avg finish

top 79%

overall standings

Best overall

667.3940 / 720

Open Comp · Hudson Valley Ribfest

Perfect 180s

Current form

611.31 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 605.90 (+5.41)

Walk rate

26%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

174.8456

Pork · Mountain Smoke Barbecue Festival Day 1

Consistency

±17.08

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 154.08 · weakest Brisket (149.31)

Road miles

8,757

across 19 mapped stops · furthest 2,197 mi

Schedule strength

47%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1560)

Purse competed for

$81K

listed at 8 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 7 state-championship entries

Master avg

605.90 / 720

18 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

334.22 / 360

1 Backyard contest · 0 GCs

These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.

This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.

Storylines (8 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

High-water mark

667.3940 career-best overall

92.7% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 667.3940 at Hudson Valley Ribfest — 92.7% of a perfect 720.

Open Comp
Aug 16, 2019

A tough matchup

10–0 behind in the head-to-head

SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS ahead in 100% of their meetings

SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS has come out ahead in 10 of their 10 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.8 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.76 points below their pork ribs, and turns into a call 6% of the time against 5%.

Brisket avg 149.31
Pork Ribs avg 154.08
1 call in 18 entries

A strong matchup

3–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Ravenous Smokehaus in 3 of their 3 shared contests.

The comeback

6.3 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 6.3 years, then back at High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) (May 15, 2026).

last seen Jan 17, 2020
back May 15, 2026

Pork Ribs nemesis

9 of 10 shared pork ribs entries lost

SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS ahead 90% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS has out-cooked them in 9 of 10 shared pork ribs entries.

The long haul

8,757 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 8,757 miles across 19 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 2,197 miles to Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge.

19 mapped stops
furthest 2,197 mi

Show 1 more storyline

A standing appointment

7 years running at one contest

They've cooked Hudson Valley Ribfest every year from 2013 to 2019 — the contest they never miss.

7 visits in all
best finish 5th

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2020 ↗	Master	#856 (60 pts)	#896 (60 pts)	#913 (60 pts)	#899 (60 pts)	#883 (60 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#958 (281 pts)	#1017 (271 pts)	#849 (371 pts)	#635 (526 pts)	#967 (301 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1954 (60 pts)	#2012 (60 pts)	#1996 (60 pts)	#2030 (60 pts)	#1990 (60 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1558 (157 pts)	#1689 (142 pts)	#1681 (147 pts)	#1573 (167 pts)	#1054 (327 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#2274 (60 pts)	#2353 (60 pts)	#2349 (60 pts)	#2166 (90 pts)	#2345 (60 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1676 (120 pts)	#1778 (120 pts)	#1776 (120 pts)	#1790 (120 pts)	#1763 (120 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1589 (150 pts)	#1234 (255 pts)	#1653 (150 pts)	#1586 (170 pts)	#1518 (180 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to BIG KEV'S BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

Kickin Ash

#6,276 of the rated field

1412 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1412

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 14 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 14 contests
last seen Aug 15, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

SMF

#6,274 of the rated field

1413 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1413

Fewer contests behind them than BIG KEV'S BBQ has cooked, 13 to 19, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Sep 25, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

PORK U

#6,275 of the rated field

1413 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1413

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before BIG KEV'S BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 12 contests

⚔ Compare careers

3 T's BBQ

#6,272 of the rated field

1413 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1413

They turned up 6 years after BIG KEV'S BBQ did, first appearing in 2019.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Oct 4, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

WINGMAN BBQ SAUCE

#6,271 of the rated field

1413 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1413

Level with BIG KEV'S BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 8 contests
last seen Mar 25, 2017

⚔ Compare careers

THE OUTLAW BBQ NY

#6,279 of the rated field

1412 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 7%
Peak: 1412

2–3 in 5 shared contests (40% to BIG KEV'S BBQ)

These two have cooked 5 of the same contests — THE OUTLAW BBQ NY ahead 3–2 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 15 contests
last seen Aug 16, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
Dr. Pearl's Medicinal Smoke BBQ Team	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
Chicken Chokers	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
Rogue Hog BBQ	9	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
GOOD SMOKE BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
THREE DOGS BBQ	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
ACK-QUE	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
RIBS WITHIN	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
Handsome Devil	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
PACKANACK LAKE BBQ CLUB	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
YOURS IN BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
GOT PORK? GOT BEER?	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	19	1	0	0	166.2744	142.7772	153.56	top 76%
Pork Ribs	19	1	0	0	171.4400	139.3256	154.08	top 73%
Pork	18	2	1	1	174.8456	125.1428	150.43	top 71%
Brisket	18	1	1	1	171.4744	132.5714	149.31	top 71%

“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.

By field size and state

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	2	top 83%
Medium (20–39)	4	top 86%
Large (40+)	13	top 76%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
NY	9	top 74%
VA	2	top 94%
NM	2	top 87%
TN	1	top 66%
AZ	1	top 90%
AL	1	top 96%
DE	1	top 88%
NJ	1	top 51%
PA	1	top 84%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Hudson Valley Ribfest	7	5	0	top 70%	Aug 16, 2019

More numbers

Busiest season 2019 6 contests

Contests a season 2.1 across 9 seasons in the data

Most contests held in NY 9 of 19 contests · 9 states in all

Contests visited 13 1 of them more than once

Opponents faced 551 finished ahead 198 times, behind 728

Longest layoff 6.3 yrs Jan 17, 2020 → May 15, 2026

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

20261 milestone

May 15 Most recent contest High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)

20194 milestones

Mar 14 Career-best single call (Pork)174.8456 Mountain Smoke Barbecue Festival Day 1
Aug 16 First overall top-10 Hudson Valley Ribfest
Aug 16 First overall past 90% of a perfect score667.3940 Hudson Valley Ribfest
Aug 16 Career-best overall score667.3940 Hudson Valley Ribfest

20172 milestones

Aug 25 First category win (Brisket) The Great Catskill MTN BBQ Fest
Aug 25 10th tracked contest The Great Catskill MTN BBQ Fest

20141 milestone

Aug 16 First call Hudson Valley Ribfest

20132 milestones

Apr 19 First tracked contest New York City BBQ Cookoff
Apr 19 Peak power rating (1487) New York City BBQ Cookoff

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+17.6	Hudson Valley Ribfest	Aug 16, 2019
+2.7	DO AC Smokin' Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship	Oct 3, 2014
+1.2	High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)	May 15, 2026

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.9	New York City BBQ Cookoff	Apr 19, 2013
-12.1	Hudson Valley Ribfest	Aug 14, 2015
-9.4	Keystone Classic Barbeque	Oct 4, 2013
-8.8	Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival	Apr 10, 2015
-8.2	Bama Q Capital City Cook-Off	Feb 22, 2019

Scores over time (% of a perfect score — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	1	0	0	0%	top 66%	92.8%	92.8%
2020	1	0	0	0%	top 90%	86.6%	86.6%
2019	6	1	1	50%	top 78%	92.7%	86.5%
2018	1	0	0	0%	top 86%	86.1%	86.1%
2017	2	0	1	50%	top 84%	85.5%	84.1%
2016	1	0	0	0%	top 65%	86.2%	86.2%
2015	2	0	0	0%	top 92%	82.8%	81.1%
2014	2	0	0	50%	top 60%	86.3%	85.6%
2013	3	0	0	0%	top 84%	84.7%	81.7%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
May 15, 2026	High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Winchester, TN	19 / 29 (334.2172)	20 (166.2516)	17 (167.9656)	—	—
Jan 17, 2020	Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge 🏅 Bullhead City, AZ	53 / 59 (623.2568)	44 (161.1084)	54 (155.9772)	56 (150.7884)	44 (155.3828)
Aug 16, 2019	Hudson Valley Ribfest 🏅 New Paltz, NY	5 / 53 (667.3940)	42 (157.1200)	49 (144.5372)	48 (147.4056)	45 (145.7028)
Mar 23, 2019	BBQ Gives Back-IV (DAY 2) 🏅 Urbanna, VA	50 / 52 (602.1600)	51 (142.7772)	47 (155.9772)	52 (143.9312)	32 (159.4744)
Mar 22, 2019	BBQ Gives Back-III (Day 1) 🏅 Urbanna, VA	58 / 63 (605.5312)	60 (149.0972)	63 (143.3828)	41 (162.8228)	56 (150.2284)
Mar 15, 2019	Mountain Smoke Barbecue Festival Day 2 🏅 Ruidoso, NM	19 / 21 (630.8456)	19 (149.1088)	7 (171.4400)	20 (144.0112)	13 (166.2856)
Mar 14, 2019	Mountain Smoke Barbecue Festival Day 1 🏅 Ruidoso, NM	15 / 18 (613.5424)	17 (143.9428)	12 (160.5484)	1 (174.8456)	17 (134.2056)
Feb 22, 2019	Bama Q Capital City Cook-Off 🏅 Montgomery, AL	26 / 27 (619.3144)	27 (145.1200)	25 (156.5372)	10 (170.2744)	25 (147.3828)
Aug 17, 2018	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	50 / 58 (619.9316)	42 (159.4400)	51 (152.5716)	26 (162.7884)	50 (145.1316)
Aug 25, 2017	The Great Catskill MTN BBQ Fest Fleischmanns, NY	14 / 17 (615.8628)	17 (148.5144)	16 (139.3256)	12 (156.5484)	1 (171.4744)
Aug 18, 2017	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	51 / 59 (595.2228)	39 (156.5144)	43 (151.3828)	51 (146.2628)	54 (141.0628)
Aug 19, 2016	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	34 / 52 (620.9940)	27 (163.4172)	25 (160.5372)	19 (162.8456)	52 (134.1940)
Aug 14, 2015	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	55 / 57 (571.9200)	45 (147.9200)	49 (145.7028)	57 (127.4628)	33 (150.8344)
Apr 10, 2015	Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival Harrington, DE	87 / 99 (596)	79 (150.3088)	70 (153.1428)	94 (138.2284)	61 (154.3200)
Oct 3, 2014	DO AC Smokin' Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship Atlantic City, NJ	33 / 65 (621.1660)	58 (145.6572)	27 (158.8572)	21 (161.7372)	27 (154.9144)
Aug 16, 2014	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	41 / 60 (610.7660)	7 (166.2744)	50 (147.9316)	54 (138.2972)	19 (158.2628)
Oct 4, 2013	Keystone Classic Barbeque Harrisburg, PA	46 / 55 (586.1712)	47 (147.3596)	46 (144.5144)	21 (158.8800)	48 (135.4172)
Aug 16, 2013	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	40 / 51 (610.1712)	31 (157.6684)	16 (166.2400)	49 (135.4400)	34 (150.8228)
Apr 19, 2013	New York City BBQ Cookoff Staten Island, NY	30 / 33 (568.5720)	15 (160.0002)	21 (150.8576)	33 (125.1428)	30 (132.5714)

BIG KEV'S BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Backyard avg

Storylines (8 found in their record)

High-water mark

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Pork Ribs nemesis

The long haul

A standing appointment

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)