High-water mark
687.9084
career-best overall
95.5% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 687.9084 at 5th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship — 95.5% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2023-03-17
Spitballs BBQ
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1576
peak 1576 · rated over 13 contests ⓘ
Contests
16
in the data
First seen
2019-06-21
latest 2026-06-26
Best ToY finish
#637
Master 2022
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
4 podiums
Overall top-10s
0
of 16 contests
Avg finish
top 34%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
673.76
last 5 Master vs avg 673.42 (+0.34)
Walk rate
31%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±11.98
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 169.41 · weakest Chicken (167.41)
Road miles
218
mi across 16 mapped stops
Schedule strength
51%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1565)
Purse competed for
$407K
listed at 14 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 12 state-championship entries
Master avg
673.42 / 720
13 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines (9 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.
The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ has finished one call ahead of Spitballs BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
Their season
2023
their best year
2023 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 23%.
- 5 contests
- 0 overall top-10s
- 0 category wins
- average top 23%
A tough matchup
12–0
behind in the head-to-head
SLAPS BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings
SLAPS BBQ has come out ahead in 12 of their 12 shared contests.
A strong matchup
8–2
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 80% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of Hawg Wild in 8 of their 10 shared contests.
The comeback
2.2 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 2.2 years, then back at American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST (2021-09-16).
- last seen 2019-06-21
- back 2021-09-16
Pork Ribs nemesis
10 of 13
shared pork ribs entries lost
MAD MUTT'S BBQ ahead 77% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, MAD MUTT'S BBQ has out-cooked them in 10 of 13 shared pork ribs entries.
The metronome
±1.66%
swing around their own average
Their overall lands within ±1.66% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.
- averages 93.5% of a perfect score
- 16 contests
A standing appointment
4
years running at one contest
They've cooked The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship every year from 2023 to 2026 — the contest they never miss.
- 5 visits in all
- best finish 23rd
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.
34 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1327 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 31%
- Peak
- 1576
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 13 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#1325 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 38%
- Peak
- 1598
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 8 years before Spitballs BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#1323 of the rated field
- Contests
- 28
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 25%
- Peak
- 1615
No shared contest yet.
A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 28 contests to 16.
⚔ Head-to-head#1324 of the rated field
- Contests
- 6
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 100%
- Peak
- 1576
No shared contest yet.
Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 6 contests, alongside a 100% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Head-to-head#1322 of the rated field
- Contests
- 36
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 28%
- Peak
- 1586
No shared contest yet.
Level with Spitballs BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-head#1321 of the rated field
- Contests
- 46
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 17%
- Peak
- 1584
No shared contest yet.
46 contests to 16: their number has had years to settle where Spitballs BBQ's is still finding its level.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIRATES OF BAR-B-QUE BAY | 14 | 5 | 9 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| MAD MUTT'S BBQ | 13 | 3 | 10 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
| LOVE 2 Q | 12 | 4 | 8 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| SLAPS BBQ | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| KC Meat Sweats | 11 | 6 | 5 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| 913 BBQ | 11 | 3 | 8 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| BURNT FINGER BBQ | 11 | 3 | 8 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| Hawg Wild | 10 | 8 | 2 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| B & C SMOKERS | 10 | 7 | 3 | 70% | ⚔ compare |
| Barking Dog BBQ | 10 | 7 | 3 | 70% | ⚔ compare |
| OINK, MOO & COCK-A-DOODLE DOO | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| BREW 'N' BAR-B-QUE | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoke Me Tender BBQ | 9 | 8 | 1 | 89% | ⚔ compare |
| ROADKILL BBQ | 9 | 5 | 4 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 14 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 179.4400 | 153.6456 | 167.41 | top 44% |
| Pork Ribs | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 179.4400 | 161.0972 | 169.41 | top 40% |
| Pork | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 176.5716 | 156.5140 | 168.10 | top 45% |
| Brisket | 14 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 178.8572 | 153.6800 | 169.08 | top 32% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| KS | 12 | 0 | top 30% |
| MO | 2 | 0 | top 59% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 1 | 0 | top 89% |
| Large (40+) | 13 | 0 | top 30% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship | 5 | 23 | 0 | top 30% | 2026-06-26 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 3 | 100 | 0 | top 36% | 2023-09-27 |
| Made for KC BBQ Championship (COMPETITORS SERIES) | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 59% | 2023-06-09 |
The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
7 yrs
2019-06-21 → 2026-06-26
Busiest season
2023
5 contests
Contests a season
2.3
across 7 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
KS
14 of 16 contests · 2 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
7
3 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
14 entries · 1 win · 1 calls
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
averages 169.41 · weakest Chicken (167.41)
Walk rate
31%
a top-10 call in 5 of 16 contests
Overall top-10 rate
0%
0 of 16 contests
Master average
673.42
out of 720 · 13 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
1,288
1,997–1,112 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
218
16 mapped stops
Schedule strength
1565
average field rating faced — tougher than 51% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$406,985
listed at 14 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 12 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
2.2 yrs
2019-06-21 → 2021-09-16
Power rating
1576
peak 1576 · #1320 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2019
- First tracked contest The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score649.0512 The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship
- 2022
- First call Qlathe BBQ Championship
- First category win (Chicken) Qlathe BBQ Championship
- 2023
- Career-best overall score687.9084 5th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship
- 10th tracked contest The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship
- 2026
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)179.4400 The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship
- Peak power rating (1576) The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship
- Most recent contest The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.5 | Qlathe BBQ Championship | 2022-03-18 |
| +13.4 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship | 2022-06-24 |
| +11 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2023-09-27 |
| +10.7 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship | 2023-06-23 |
| +10.5 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST | 2022-09-29 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -6.5 | Made for KC BBQ Championship (COMPETITORS SERIES) | 2022-06-10 |
| -5.5 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST | 2021-09-16 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 41% | 92% | 92% |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 27% | 93.6% | 93.6% |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 35% | 94.4% | 93.5% |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40% | top 23% | 95.5% | 95.1% |
| 2022 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 40% | top 36% | 95.2% | 94.2% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 62% | 90.9% | 90.9% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 40% | 90.1% | 90.1% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-26 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 64 / 157 (662.1712) | 140 (153.6456) | 3 (179.4400) | 101 (161.7028) | 52 (167.3828) |
| 2025-06-27 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 43 / 159 (673.6228) | 120 (158.8344) | 11 (177.7028) | 85 (165.0856) | 27 (172.0000) |
| 2024-10-30 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 185 / 444 (679.3600) | 382 (158.8344) | 45 (176.0000) | 239 (167.9656) | 23 (176.5600) |
| 2024-06-21 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 50 / 172 (667.4060) | 68 (165.6916) | 52 (168.0116) | 58 (166.8456) | 48 (166.8572) |
| 2023-09-27 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023-09-27 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 100 / 487 (686.2400) | 269 (167.4400) | 226 (169.6800) | 93 (173.7028) | 38 (175.4172) |
| 2023-06-23 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 23 / 167 (679.9656) | 59 (166.2856) | 60 (167.9656) | 72 (166.8572) | 2 (178.8572) |
| 2023-06-09 | Made for KC BBQ Championship (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Kansas City, MO | 13 / 44 (681.6000) | 22 (170.8112) | 28 (168.5372) | 34 (166.8344) | 2 (175.4172) |
| 2023-03-17 | 5th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS | 20 / 68 (687.9084) | 12 (176.5600) | 39 (168.5372) | 15 (174.2628) | 35 (168.5484) |
| 2022-10-01 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - SIDES Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2022-09-29 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 131 / 505 (681.0976) | 126 (172.0000) | 207 (168.5716) | 34 (176.5716) | 281 (163.9544) |
| 2022-06-24 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 17 / 164 (680.5828) | 55 (166.3200) | 14 (172.0000) | 9 (176.5600) | 49 (165.7028) |
| 2022-06-10 | Made for KC BBQ Championship (COMPETITORS SERIES) Kansas City, MO | 32 / 36 (666.6856) | 20 (171.9656) | 32 (165.0972) | 30 (166.2400) | 28 (163.3828) |
| 2022-03-18 | Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS | 12 / 71 (685.6572) | 1 (179.4400) | 32 (167.4288) | 37 (169.1200) | 25 (169.6684) |
| 2021-09-16 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 289 / 467 (654.6968) | 48 (174.2628) | 330 (161.6340) | 227 (165.1200) | 377 (153.6800) |
| 2019-06-21 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 74 / 183 (649.0512) | 82 (161.7028) | 91 (161.0972) | 135 (156.5140) | 27 (169.7372) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #703 (215 pts) | #703 (245 pts) | #913 (180 pts) | #705 (230 pts) | #509 (380 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #637 (285 pts) | #537 (405 pts) | #800 (235 pts) | #695 (265 pts) | #837 (180 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #1236 (60 pts) | #1286 (60 pts) | #1309 (60 pts) | #1262 (60 pts) | #1245 (60 pts) |