On the rise
+36
rating points in a year
Their power rating has climbed 36 points across 6 contests since 2025-05-02 — from 1555 up to 1592.
- 6 contests since 2025-05-02
- now 1592
Pit Master Matt
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1592
peak 1592 · rated over 13 contests ⓘ
Best runs
9
straight top-10s
Contests
13
in the data
First seen
2022-10-22
latest 2026-04-18
Best ToY finish
#111
Backyard 2026
Grand champs
2
0 reserve
Category wins
2
5 podiums
Overall top-10s
11
of 13 contests
Avg finish
top 28%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
335.70 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 321.60 (+14.10)
Walk rate
100%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
9
best run (overall)
Consistency
±45.80
std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 170.68 · weakest Pork Ribs (164.04)
Road miles
520
mi across 13 mapped stops · furthest 126 mi
Schedule strength
65%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1581)
Purse competed for
$47K
listed at 12 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
2 🏅
GCs in 13 state-championship entries
Backyard avg
321.60 / 360
13 Backyard contests · 2 GCs
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
Storylines (15 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.
Giant slayer
30
teams beaten in one weekend
Took the Grand Championship over a 30-team field at New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2).
- 2023-04-22
Happy hunting ground
2×
Grand Championships here
New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) is their spot: 2 Grand Championships in 6 visits.
- 6 visits
- best finish 1st
- average top 18%
They almost always walk
100%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 13 of 13 contests
A top-10 category call in 100% of their 13 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
High-water mark
348.5256
career-best overall
96.8% of a perfect 360
Their best day on record: 348.5256 at New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) — 96.8% of a perfect 360.
- Backyard
- 2026-04-18
State champions
2
state championships won
They've taken 2 state championships from 13 entries at contests carrying the title.
- 13 state-championship entries
The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
CHUNKY BBQ has finished one call ahead of Pit Master Matt 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
A tough matchup
8–0
behind in the head-to-head
BOGGS HOG BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings
BOGGS HOG BBQ has come out ahead in 8 of their 8 shared contests.
The weak link
−6.6
points behind their best meat
Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.64 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 77% of the time against 92%.
- Pork Ribs avg 164.04
- Chicken avg 170.68
- 10 calls in 13 entries
A strong matchup
11–1
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 92% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of TRUCKERS CHOICE BBQ in 11 of their 12 shared contests.
Chicken nemesis
6 of 8
shared chicken entries lost
FIRE & SHINE BBQ ahead 75% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, FIRE & SHINE BBQ has out-cooked them in 6 of 8 shared chicken entries.
Looking over their shoulder
2×
one call behind them
Leaning Jowler BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
Boom or bust
±12.72%
swing around their own average
Their overall swings ±12.72% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.
- averages 89.3% of a perfect score
- best 96.8%
An April team
Top 15%
average finish in April
Something about April: average finish in the top 15% across 4 contests, versus top 28% the rest of the year.
- 4 April contests
- top 28% the rest of the year
A standing appointment
4
years running at one contest
They've cooked New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) every year from 2023 to 2026 — the contest they never miss.
- 6 visits in all
- best finish 1st
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.
#1123 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 50%
- Peak
- 1609
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 8 years before Pit Master Matt's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#1125 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 33%
- Peak
- 1592
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 15 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#1128 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 83%
- Peak
- 1591
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 12 contests to 13, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#1121 of the rated field
- Contests
- 24
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 33%
- Peak
- 1592
No shared contest yet.
24 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 33% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-head#1126 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 36%
- Peak
- 1595
No shared contest yet.
They were already cooking in 2013, 9 years before Pit Master Matt's first contest.
⚔ Head-to-head#1122 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 31%
- Peak
- 1619
No shared contest yet.
Level with Pit Master Matt on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | 13 | 4 | 9 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| TRUCKERS CHOICE BBQ | 12 | 11 | 1 | 92% | ⚔ compare |
| Grandpa Val's BBQ | 12 | 6 | 5 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG BOB'S SMOKIN QUE | 11 | 10 | 1 | 91% | ⚔ compare |
| Leaning Jowler BBQ | 11 | 5 | 6 | 45% | ⚔ compare |
| DIG'N N PIG'N | 10 | 7 | 3 | 70% | ⚔ compare |
| STICKS & STONES BBQ | 10 | 6 | 3 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Beefy Bros BBQ | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| PADDY MCQ'S | 9 | 5 | 4 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| Rough Cut Q | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Yardogs BBQ | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Capt. Blue BBQ | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| Let It Smoke Barbecue | 8 | 8 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOAKWOOD | 8 | 7 | 1 | 88% | ⚔ compare |
| Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 12 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 177.7028 | 163.9428 | 170.68 | top 18% |
| Pork Ribs | 13 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 173.1200 | 151.3372 | 164.04 | top 29% |
| Pork | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
| Brisket | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NJ | 12 | 2 | top 27% |
| DE | 1 | 0 | top 32% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 32% |
| Medium (20–39) | 12 | 2 | top 27% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) | 6 | 1 | 2 | top 18% | 2026-04-18 |
| Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) | 3 | 5 | 0 | top 28% | 2025-10-25 |
| Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 30% | 2024-10-19 |
The story so far (19 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
3.5 yrs
2022-10-22 → 2026-04-18
Busiest season
2025
4 contests
Contests a season
2.6
across 5 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
NJ
12 of 13 contests · 2 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
5
3 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
13 entries · 1 win · 10 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 170.68 · weakest Pork Ribs (164.04)
Walk rate
100%
a top-10 call in 13 of 13 contests
Overall top-10 rate
85%
11 of 13 contests
Wins it all
15%
2 Grand Championships · 0 reserve
First title
2023-04-22
New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2)
Best top-10 run
9
straight contests
Backyard average
321.60
out of 360 · 13 contests · 2 GCs
Opponents faced
165
367–176 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
520
13 mapped stops · furthest 126 mi
Schedule strength
1581
average field rating faced — tougher than 65% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$46,800
listed at 12 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
2
from 13 state-championship entries
Power rating
1592
peak 1592 · #1124 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2022
- First tracked contest Red White & Que: Day 2 - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES
- First call Red White & Que: Day 2 - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES
- 2023
- First category win (Pork Ribs) New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2)
- First overall top-10 New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2)
- First overall podium New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2)
- First Grand Championship New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2)
- First state championship New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score342.7884 New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2)
- Biggest field won (30 teams) New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2)
- 2024
- Career-best single call (Chicken)177.7028 Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2)
- 2025
- 10th tracked contest Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1)
- 2026
- Career-best overall score348.5256 New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2)
- Peak power rating (1592) New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2)
- Most recent contest New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +18.3 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) | 2023-04-22 |
| +15.2 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) | 2026-04-18 |
| +11.3 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) | 2025-10-24 |
| +10 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) | 2024-04-20 |
| +9.8 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) | 2023-10-21 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -8 | Red White & Que: Day 2 - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES | 2022-10-22 |
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 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 19% | 96.8% | 94.6% |
| 2025 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 100% | top 27% | 94.7% | 91.5% |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 100% | top 26% | 94.9% | 93.5% |
| 2023 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 100% | top 20% | 95.2% | 93.3% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 78% | 45.9% | 45.9% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-18 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 1 / 26 (348.5256) | 4 (175.4056) | 4 (173.1200) | — | — |
| 2026-04-17 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 9 / 26 (332.5144) | 11 (163.9428) | 5 (168.5716) | — | — |
| 2025-10-25 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) 🏅 Jackson, NJ | 14 / 32 (329.6228) | 9 (166.2400) | 15 (163.3828) | — | — |
| 2025-10-24 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) 🏅 Jackson, NJ | 5 / 31 (341.0972) | 4 (171.9772) | 5 (169.1200) | — | — |
| 2025-05-03 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 7 / 34 (326.7428) | 3 (173.1200) | 8 (153.6228) | — | — |
| 2025-05-02 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 9 / 33 (319.8628) | 4 (168.5256) | 11 (151.3372) | — | — |
| 2024-10-19 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) 🏅 Columbia, NJ | 7 / 26 (341.6456) | 1 (177.7028) | 13 (163.9428) | — | — |
| 2024-10-18 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) 🏅 Columbia, NJ | 9 / 28 (330.1944) | 8 (165.0972) | 9 (165.0972) | — | — |
| 2024-04-20 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 5 / 27 (337.6572) | 2 (171.4172) | 5 (166.2400) | — | — |
| 2023-10-21 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) 🏅 Jackson, NJ | 7 / 29 (337.0972) | 5 (173.1428) | 9 (163.9544) | — | — |
| 2023-05-06 | Delaware Bay-B-Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) 🏅 Lincoln, DE | 6 / 19 (327.9428) | 5 (169.6800) | 9 (158.2628) | — | — |
| 2023-04-22 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 1 / 30 (342.7884) | 3 (171.9656) | 1 (170.8228) | — | — |
| 2022-10-22 | Red White & Que: Day 2 - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Jackson, NJ | 21 / 27 (165.0972) | — | 10 (165.0972) | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #111 (388 pts) | #143 (298 pts) | #130 (353 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #178 (267 pts) | #162 (322 pts) | #193 (262 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #130 (439 pts) | #95 (644 pts) | #142 (394 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #117 (542 pts) | #129 (512 pts) | — | — |