The heartbreaker
2.2628
points from the title
Came within 2.2628 points of the Grand Championship at Massachusetts in May (Day 2) (May 18, 2024).
LG bbq
LG bbq is a competition barbecue team with 36 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2019 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 31 at the Massachusetts in May (Day 2) (2024), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #769 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1631
peak 1645 · rated over 29 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted
Contests
36
in the data
First seen
Aug 2, 2019
latest Apr 11, 2026 · 6.7 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
1 reserve
Category wins
5
18 podiums
Overall top-10s
15
42% of 36 contests
Best top-10 run
10
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 37%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
685.28 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 680.96 (+4.32)
Walk rate
83%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±9.37
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 171.15 · weakest Brisket (168.63)
Road miles
3,810
across 36 mapped stops · furthest 1,111 mi
Schedule strength
51%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1565)
Purse competed for
$204K
listed at 32 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 26 state-championship entries
Master avg
680.96 / 720
28 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
318.25 / 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #624 (227 pts) | #879 (122 pts) | #763 (197 pts) | #656 (222 pts) | #419 (462 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #131 (1,410 pts) | #95 (1,605 pts) | #160 (1,325 pts) | #146 (1,320 pts) | #140 (1,315 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #58 (1,843 pts) | #80 (1,588 pts) | #67 (1,660 pts) | #80 (1,538 pts) | #72 (1,593 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #486 (394 pts) | #486 (439 pts) | #354 (718 pts) | #367 (579 pts) | #523 (364 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #982 (121 pts) | #1338 (61 pts) | #623 (351 pts) | #1167 (106 pts) | #1017 (121 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to LG bbq, each with one reason worth a look.
26 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#770 of the rated field
- Contests
- 23
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 65%
- Peak
- 1631
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 23 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#771 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 62%
- Peak
- 1642
Their last contest in the data was back in 2016, 10 years before LG bbq's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#773 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 47%
- Peak
- 1630
Fewer contests behind them than LG bbq has cooked, 17 to 36, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careers#768 of the rated field
- Contests
- 51
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 25%
- Peak
- 1657
51 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 25% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#772 of the rated field
- Contests
- 89
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 21%
- Peak
- 1697
They were already cooking in 2013, 6 years before LG bbq's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#761 of the rated field
- Contests
- 30
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 43%
- Peak
- 1632
Level with LG bbq on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELJEFE SMOKE | 29 | 10 | 19 | 34% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 29 | 5 | 24 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Let It Smoke Barbecue | 26 | 19 | 7 | 73% | ⚔ compare |
| PADDY MCQ'S | 26 | 7 | 19 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | 26 | 6 | 20 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
| Mullen It Over BBQ | 22 | 19 | 3 | 86% | ⚔ compare |
| Q42 | 19 | 18 | 1 | 95% | ⚔ compare |
| STICKS & STONES BBQ | 17 | 11 | 6 | 65% | ⚔ compare |
| American Barbecue Company | 16 | 10 | 6 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| Up-2 BBQ | 16 | 5 | 11 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| Professor Smoke | 14 | 14 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Grumpy Old Patriot Barbeque | 14 | 13 | 1 | 93% | ⚔ compare |
| Titans of BBQ | 14 | 12 | 2 | 86% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Bobby's Q | 14 | 11 | 3 | 79% | ⚔ compare |
| HUMPHREY'S BBQ | 14 | 8 | 6 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 30 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 178.8800 | 154.8340 | 171.15 | top 44% |
| Pork Ribs | 36 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 175.4288 | 157.1316 | 168.97 | top 43% |
| Pork | 29 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 180 🔥 | 159.9428 | 170.76 | top 40% |
| Brisket | 29 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 178.8572 | 157.6800 | 168.63 | top 41% |
“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 | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 5 | 0 | top 60% |
| Medium (20–39) | 20 | 0 | top 32% |
| Large (40+) | 5 | 0 | top 36% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) | 7 | 3 | 0 | top 37% | Apr 11, 2026 |
| Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) | 4 | 10 | 0 | top 56% | Sep 13, 2025 |
| Massachusetts in May (Day 2) | 4 | 2 | 0 | top 20% | May 17, 2025 |
| Kora Kares for Kids | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 14% | Aug 16, 2025 |
| Connecticut Barbecue Challenge | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 18% | Jul 12, 2025 |
| Frog Alley Brew-B-Que Cookoff | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 36% | Jun 22, 2024 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2025
12 contests
Contests a season
6
across 6 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
CT
11 of 36 contests · 7 states in all
Contests visited
15
6 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
36 entries · 0 wins · 16 calls
Opponents faced
210
finished ahead 592 times, behind 294
Longest layoff
2.9 yrs
Aug 2, 2019 → Jun 25, 2022
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20261 milestone
- Most recent contest Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2)
20254 milestones
- 25th tracked contest Massachusetts in May (Day 1)
- First perfect 180 (Pork) Grand American Barbecue New York State Championship (Open)
- Career-best overall score698.8460 Kora Kares for Kids
- Peak power rating (1645) Kora Kares for Kids
20242 milestones
- First overall podium Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2)
- First Reserve Championship Massachusetts in May (Day 2)
20233 milestones
- First overall top-10 HOGS 4 HEROES
- First category win (Pork) I Love Barbecue & Music Festival
- 10th tracked contest I Love Barbecue & Music Festival
20222 milestones
- First call Central Maine BBQ Cook Off (ONE MEAT RIBS)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score659.3140 Kora Shriner's BBQ Competition
20191 milestone
- First tracked contest Smokin on The Harbor (BACKYARD ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.6 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) | Apr 13, 2024 |
| +14.2 | Massachusetts in May (Day 2) | May 18, 2024 |
| +13.9 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) | Apr 12, 2024 |
| +12.5 | Massachusetts in May (Day 1) | May 17, 2024 |
| +12.1 | HOGS 4 HEROES | May 6, 2023 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -8.2 | Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) | Sep 12, 2025 |
| -7.1 | Smokin on The Harbor (BACKYARD ONLY) | Aug 2, 2019 |
| -5.9 | Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) | Sep 13, 2025 |
| -4.5 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) | Apr 11, 2025 |
| -3.6 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) | Apr 11, 2026 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 44% | 95% | 94.8% |
| 2025 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 92% | top 45% | 97.1% | 94.8% |
| 2024 | 12 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 83% | top 21% | 96.7% | 95.2% |
| 2023 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 86% | top 44% | 93.9% | 93.2% |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 39% | 91.6% | 91.6% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 73% | 88.4% | 88.4% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 2026 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) 🏅 Bristol, CT | 16 / 29 (681.0400) | 23 (169.6800) | 25 (163.9772) | 12 (171.9656) | 3 (175.4172) |
| Apr 10, 2026 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) 🏅 Bristol, CT | 11 / 33 (683.8972) | 25 (167.3944) | 9 (173.1200) | 16 (168.5372) | 3 (174.8456) |
| Sep 13, 2025 | Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) 🏅 Southwick, MA | 10 / 16 (685.5768) | 13 (170.8228) | 11 (170.8228) | 12 (168.5256) | 2 (175.4056) |
| Sep 12, 2025 | Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) 🏅 Southwick, MA | 11 / 16 (677.0288) | 3 (178.8572) | 12 (167.3944) | 15 (162.2400) | 11 (168.5372) |
| Aug 16, 2025 | Kora Kares for Kids 🏅 Hiram, ME | 3 / 40 (698.8460) | 9 (175.4172) | 5 (174.2744) | 9 (174.2744) | 6 (174.8800) |
| Aug 16, 2025 | Kora Kares for Kids (ONE MEAT RIBS) Hiram, ME | — | — | 8 (170.2972) | — | — |
| Aug 2, 2025 | Grand American Barbecue New York State Championship (Open) 🏅 Port Jervis, NY | 22 / 47 (685.6572) | 40 (166.8228) | 24 (171.4172) | 1 (180) | 31 (167.4172) |
| Aug 1, 2025 | Grand American Barbecue World Championship (Invitational) (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Port Jervis, NY | 31 / 34 (673.5888) | 18 (171.9772) | 26 (169.6916) | 27 (169.1200) | 32 (162.8000) |
| Jul 12, 2025 | Connecticut Barbecue Challenge 🏅 Somers, CT | 4 / 30 (693.6456) | 4 (177.1428) | 11 (171.4172) | 14 (170.8228) | 5 (174.2628) |
| May 30, 2025 | Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) 🏅 Hancock, NH | 12 / 22 (677.6116) | 12 (170.8344) | 7 (174.2744) | 17 (159.9428) | 9 (172.5600) |
| May 17, 2025 | Massachusetts in May (Day 2) 🏅 Wrentham, MA | 14 / 29 (676.5140) | 17 (166.8340) | 4 (174.8572) | 17 (167.3828) | 12 (167.4400) |
| May 16, 2025 | Massachusetts in May (Day 1) 🏅 Wrentham, MA | 3 / 27 (684.0344) | 2 (178.8800) | 13 (168.5716) | 4 (172.5828) | 18 (164) |
| Apr 12, 2025 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) 🏅 Bristol, CT | 11 / 35 (688.5144) | 2 (178.8572) | 15 (169.7144) | 17 (170.8228) | 13 (169.1200) |
| Apr 11, 2025 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) 🏅 Bristol, CT | 18 / 30 (665.5428) | 7 (173.1084) | 26 (160.5144) | 16 (168.5256) | 18 (163.3944) |
| Sep 21, 2024 | Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) 🏅 Southwick, MA | 14 / 27 (679.9200) | 13 (170.8228) | 23 (162.8228) | 19 (167.4172) | 1 (178.8572) |
| Sep 20, 2024 | Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) 🏅 Southwick, MA | 10 / 25 (677.6000) | 17 (167.3828) | 10 (169.1200) | 8 (173.1200) | 12 (167.9772) |
| Aug 17, 2024 | Kora Kares for Kids 🏅 Hiram, ME | 8 / 39 (682.2172) | 10 (171.9772) | 12 (168.5372) | 10 (172.5600) | 11 (169.1428) |
| Aug 17, 2024 | Kora Kares for Kids (ONE MEAT RIBS) Hiram, ME | — | — | 28 (161.1088) | — | — |
| Jul 12, 2024 | Connecticut Barbecue Challenge 🏅 Somers, CT | 7 / 30 (689.6572) | 10 (174.8456) | 7 (173.1200) | 1 (177.7144) | 18 (163.9772) |
| Jun 22, 2024 | Frog Alley Brew-B-Que Cookoff 🏅 Schenectady, NY | 3 / 21 (685.6228) | 11 (170.8228) | 6 (171.4056) | 4 (171.9772) | 5 (171.4172) |
| Jun 1, 2024 | Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Merrimack, NH | 6 / 37 (681.6912) | 10 (172.5484) | 6 (172) | 15 (168.0228) | 10 (169.1200) |
| May 18, 2024 | Massachusetts in May (Day 2) 🏅 Wrentham, MA | 2 / 31 (696) | 2 (178.8572) | 18 (169.1428) | 5 (176) | 4 (172) |
| May 17, 2024 | Massachusetts in May (Day 1) 🏅 Wrentham, MA | 4 / 30 (682.8232) | 2 (175.4516) | 2 (175.4172) | 5 (174.2744) | 26 (157.6800) |
| Apr 13, 2024 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) 🏅 Bristol, CT | 3 / 37 (696.0116) | 3 (177.7372) | 2 (175.4288) | 29 (165.7028) | 1 (177.1428) |
| Apr 13, 2024 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT RIBS) Bristol, CT | — | — | 12 (159.9544) | — | — |
| Apr 12, 2024 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) 🏅 Bristol, CT | 4 / 29 (682.1940) | 11 (170.2628) | 4 (172) | 6 (171.4056) | 10 (168.5256) |
| Sep 1, 2023 | I Love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY | 7 / 18 (675.9888) | 15 (162.2400) | 3 (172) | 1 (177.1772) | 11 (164.5716) |
| Aug 19, 2023 | Kora Shriners BBQ Competition 🏅 Hiram, ME | 23 / 46 (668.5480) | 45 (154.8340) | 7 (174.2856) | 4 (176) | 29 (163.4284) |
| Aug 19, 2023 | Kora Shriners BBQ Competition (ONE MEAT RIBS) Hiram, ME | — | — | 14 (165.6800) | — | — |
| Jun 24, 2023 | Frog Alley BREW-B-QUE Cookoff Schenectady, NY | 11 / 19 (670.8232) | 12 (169.1544) | 14 (163.3944) | 10 (167.9772) | 6 (170.2972) |
| May 6, 2023 | HOGS 4 HEROES 🏅 Jamestown, RI | 9 / 50 (673.7260) | 10 (170.8572) | 13 (168.5716) | 9 (171.4400) | 20 (162.8572) |
| Apr 15, 2023 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Bristol, CT | 24 / 43 (666.7884) | 10 (173.7144) | 26 (162.8800) | 16 (171.9656) | 35 (158.2284) |
| Apr 15, 2023 | Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT RIBS) Bristol, CT | — | — | 6 (172) | — | — |
| Aug 27, 2022 | Kora Shriner's BBQ Competition 🏅 Hiram, ME | 12 / 31 (659.3140) | 24 (165.1084) | 14 (164.5256) | 15 (164.5828) | 12 (165.0972) |
| Jun 25, 2022 | Central Maine BBQ Cook Off (ONE MEAT RIBS) Skowhegan, ME | — | — | 2 (172.0116) | — | — |
| Aug 2, 2019 | Smokin on The Harbor (BACKYARD ONLY) Warsaw, MO | 11 / 15 (318.2516) | 11 (161.1200) | 12 (157.1316) | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.