SUGAR BABY BBQ

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#3723

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1489

peak 1489 · rated over 9 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2014-06-20

latest 2019-06-14

Best ToY finish

#1208

Master 2015

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 9 contests

Avg finish

top 70%

overall standings

Best overall

683.3716 / 720

Master · *Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival

Perfect 180s

Current form

668.83 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 648.69 (+20.14)

Walk rate

67%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

175.4400

Chicken · *Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival

Consistency

±49.87

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 168.12 · weakest Brisket (165.32)

Road miles

570

mi across 9 mapped stops · furthest 129 mi

Schedule strength

82%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1607)

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 1 state-championship entries

Master avg

648.69 / 720

9 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (7 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

They almost always walk

67% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 6 of 9 contests

A top-10 category call in 67% of their 9 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

683.3716 career-best overall

94.9% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 683.3716 at *Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival — 94.9% of a perfect 720.

Master
2018-06-15

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

HARLAN CO. COAL BURNERS has finished one call ahead of SUGAR BABY BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

7–0 behind in the head-to-head

BLUE CHIP BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

BLUE CHIP BBQ has come out ahead in 7 of their 7 shared contests.

The comeback

2.1 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2.1 years, then back at *Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival (2018-06-15).

last seen 2016-05-13
back 2018-06-15

Pork Ribs nemesis

5 of 6 shared pork ribs entries lost

BLUE CHIP BBQ ahead 83% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, BLUE CHIP BBQ has out-cooked them in 5 of 6 shared pork ribs entries.

They cook the hard rooms

1607 average field rating faced

A tougher draw than 82% of rated fields

The fields they enter average a 1607 power rating — a tougher draw than 82% of every rated contest in the data.

9 rated contests

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

150 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

ROAD WARRIORS BBQ

#3710 of the rated field

1489 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1509

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to SUGAR BABY BBQ)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team SUGAR BABY BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 18 contests
last seen 2019-08-23

⚔ Head-to-head

RING OF FIRE BBQ

#3729 of the rated field

1488 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1488

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 9 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2023-01-27
on a 3-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

PELLETHEADS.COM

#3734 of the rated field

1488 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1515

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 9 contests to 9, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2017-05-06

⚔ Head-to-head

KEGGER'S

#3711 of the rated field

1489 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1512

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2016, 3 years before SUGAR BABY BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 9 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

Grill Em All

#3708 of the rated field

1489 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1489

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 7 years after SUGAR BABY BBQ did, first appearing in 2021.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2025-01-24

⚔ Head-to-head

LEMONADE LOUIE BBQ

#3706 of the rated field

1489 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1489

No shared contest yet.

Level with SUGAR BABY BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2014-08-08

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Pappy Q	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
Extra Mile BBQ	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
BLUE CHIP BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKE ON THIS	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO.	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
CONTAGIOUS Q	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	9	2	0	175.4400	158.8456	167.48	top 57%
Pork Ribs	8	1	0	171.9656	165.6916	168.12	top 54%
Pork	9	2	0	172.5944	158.8344	166.45	top 57%
Brisket	9	3	1	174.8572	149.6684	165.32	top 52%

“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 state / province

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
KY	7	0	top 69%
TN	2	0	top 71%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	6	0	top 74%
Large (40+)	3	0	top 62%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival	2	11	0	top 58%	2019-06-14

The story so far (16 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 5 yrs 2014-06-20 → 2019-06-14

Busiest season 2015 3 contests

Contests a season 1.8 across 5 seasons in the data

Cooks most in KY 7 of 9 contests · 2 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 8 1 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 9 entries · 0 wins · 2 calls

Strongest meat Pork Ribs averages 168.12 · weakest Brisket (165.32)

Walk rate 67% a top-10 call in 6 of 9 contests

Overall top-10 rate 0% 0 of 9 contests

Master average 648.69 out of 720 · 9 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 191 99–205 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 570 9 mapped stops · furthest 129 mi

Schedule strength 1607 average field rating faced — tougher than 82% of rated contests

State championships 0 from 1 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 2.1 yrs 2016-05-13 → 2018-06-15

Power rating 1489 peak 1489 · #3723 of 6,413 rated

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

2014
Jun 20 First tracked contest Barbourville BBQ Festival
Jun 20 First call Barbourville BBQ Festival
2015
Jun 19 First overall past 90% of a perfect score662.2744 Barbourville BBQ Cook-Off & Festival
Oct 2 Peak power rating (1496) Jim Beam BBQ Classic
2018
Jun 15 Career-best overall score683.3716 *Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival
Jun 15 Career-best single call (Chicken)175.4400 *Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival
2019
Jun 14 Most recent contest Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+11.8	*Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival	2018-06-15
+7	Jim Beam BBQ Classic	2015-10-02
+2.1	Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-Off & Cruise In Day 1	2018-07-13
+0.3	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2016-05-13

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.3	Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-Off	2015-10-16
-9	Barbourville BBQ Festival	2014-06-20
-4.7	Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival	2019-06-14
-4.4	Smoke on the Shores	2016-03-11
-2	Barbourville BBQ Cook-Off & Festival	2015-06-19

Category scores over time

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

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2019	1	0%	top 83%	92.4%	92.4%
2018	2	50%	top 49%	94.9%	93.9%
2016	2	50%	top 72%	92.4%	92.1%
2015	3	100%	top 71%	93.8%	85.6%
2014	1	100%	top 89%	89.7%	89.7%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2019-06-14	Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival 🏅 Barbourville, KY	25 / 30 (665.5772)	16 (170.2628)	22 (166.2400)	17 (169.6800)	24 (159.3944)
2018-07-13	Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-Off & Cruise In Day 1 Jamestown, TN	26 / 40 (668.5256)	28 (165.1656)	13 (170.8572)	25 (167.3828)	24 (165.1200)
2018-06-15	*Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival Barbourville, KY	11 / 34 (683.3716)	4 (175.4400)	21 (165.6916)	16 (167.3828)	3 (174.8572)
2016-05-13	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Bowling Green, KY	19 / 29 (661.6456)	9 (170.8456)	16 (166.8112)	23 (158.8344)	15 (165.1544)
2016-03-11	Smoke on the Shores Nashville, TN	38 / 49 (665.0400)	14 (172.5600)	29 (166.2628)	40 (160.5372)	31 (165.6800)
2015-10-16	Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-Off Munfordville, KY	34 / 34 (510.2516)	19 (167.9772)	—	10 (170.8572)	7 (171.4172)
2015-10-02	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	19 / 45 (675.3600)	33 (163.9656)	20 (170.2972)	23 (168.5372)	10 (172.5600)
2015-06-19	Barbourville BBQ Cook-Off & Festival Barbourville, KY	18 / 25 (662.2744)	23 (158.8456)	18 (166.8228)	6 (172.5944)	16 (164.0116)
2014-06-20	Barbourville BBQ Festival Barbourville, KY	24 / 27 (646.1712)	25 (162.2744)	8 (171.9656)	22 (162.2628)	26 (149.6684)

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

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

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2019 ↗	Master	#2530 (55 pts)	#1796 (100 pts)	#1967 (70 pts)	#1817 (95 pts)	#2010 (60 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1239 (189 pts)	#1079 (269 pts)	#1292 (199 pts)	#1440 (164 pts)	#1004 (299 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1656 (144 pts)	#1266 (254 pts)	#1678 (159 pts)	#1863 (124 pts)	#1626 (164 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1208 (234 pts)	#1374 (209 pts)	#1543 (170 pts)	#960 (369 pts)	#897 (394 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#2761 (57 pts)	#2817 (52 pts)	#1719 (147 pts)	#2618 (67 pts)	#2820 (52 pts)