High-water mark
675.3256
career-best overall
93.8% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 675.3256 at Kelley Wilson BBQ (KWBBQ) — 93.8% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2021-06-04
The BBQ Mavens
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1468
peak 1468 · rated over 16 contests ⓘ
Contests
21
in the data
First seen
2017-09-01
latest 2025-11-05
Best ToY finish
#807
Master 2022
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
0 podiums
Overall top-10s
0
of 21 contests
Avg finish
top 67%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
652.32 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 637.80 (+14.53)
Walk rate
14%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±38.72
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 164.36 · weakest Brisket (149.79)
Road miles
304
mi across 21 mapped stops · furthest 33 mi
Schedule strength
63%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1579)
Purse competed for
$387K
listed at 12 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 11 state-championship entries
Master avg
637.80 / 720
16 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines (8 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
POWER I BBQ has finished one call ahead of The BBQ Mavens 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
Their season
2019
their best year
2019 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 53%.
- 3 contests
- 0 overall top-10s
- 0 category wins
- average top 53%
A tough matchup
16–0
behind in the head-to-head
SLAPS BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings
SLAPS BBQ has come out ahead in 16 of their 16 shared contests.
The weak link
−14.6
points behind their best meat
Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 14.57 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 6%.
- Brisket avg 149.79
- Chicken avg 164.36
- 0 calls in 16 entries
A strong matchup
7–1
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 88% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of Smoke & Beer BBQ in 7 of their 8 shared contests.
The comeback
1.7 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 1.7 years, then back at Kelley Wilson BBQ (KWBBQ) (2021-06-04).
- last seen 2019-09-12
- back 2021-06-04
Chicken nemesis
12 of 16
shared chicken entries lost
SLAPS BBQ ahead 75% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, SLAPS BBQ has out-cooked them in 12 of 16 shared chicken entries.
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.
161 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#4715 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1468
1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to The BBQ Mavens)
2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team The BBQ Mavens has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#4707 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1512
5–1 in 6 shared contests (83% to The BBQ Mavens)
They've been 1512 at their best, 43 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-head#4737 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1512
3–2 in 5 shared contests (60% to The BBQ Mavens)
Fewer contests behind them than The BBQ Mavens has cooked, 9 to 21, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Head-to-head#4740 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1512
4–3 in 7 shared contests (57% to The BBQ Mavens)
Level with The BBQ Mavens on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-head#4755 of the rated field
- Contests
- 5
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1467
1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to The BBQ Mavens)
They turned up 7 years after The BBQ Mavens did, first appearing in 2024.
⚔ Head-to-head#4710 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 24%
- Peak
- 1503
No shared contest yet.
17 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 24% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLAPS BBQ | 16 | 0 | 16 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| LOVE 2 Q | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Sons of a Brisket | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| GETTIN' SAUCED | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| KEEP CALM & SAUCE ON | 13 | 1 | 12 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| S&S BBQ | 12 | 1 | 11 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| ROADKILL BBQ | 11 | 2 | 9 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| 913 BBQ | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| AMERICAN FIRE BBQ | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| HI-TECH SMOKERS | 10 | 5 | 5 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Theslabs.com | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| GRILLAS | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| IRWIN'S PIT CREW BBQ | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 176.5600 | 145.6228 | 164.36 | top 55% |
| Pork Ribs | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 172.5484 | 142.8000 | 161.45 | top 63% |
| Pork | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 174.8572 | 147.9656 | 162.65 | top 61% |
| Brisket | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 171.4172 | 20.0000 | 149.79 | top 68% |
“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 | 8 | 0 | top 74% |
| MO | 8 | 0 | top 60% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 1 | 0 | top 71% |
| Large (40+) | 15 | 0 | top 67% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 3 | 186 | 0 | top 56% | 2023-09-27 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2 | 300 | 0 | top 80% | 2025-11-05 |
| The Best Dam BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake | 2 | 28 | 0 | top 74% | 2019-04-12 |
The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
8.2 yrs
2017-09-01 → 2025-11-05
Busiest season
2022
4 contests
Contests a season
2.6
across 8 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
KS
12 of 21 contests · 2 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
12
3 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
18 entries · 0 wins · 2 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 164.36 · weakest Brisket (149.79)
Walk rate
14%
a top-10 call in 3 of 21 contests
Overall top-10 rate
0%
0 of 21 contests
Master average
637.80
out of 720 · 16 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
1,632
975–3,070 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
304
21 mapped stops · furthest 33 mi
Schedule strength
1579
average field rating faced — tougher than 63% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$387,401
listed at 12 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 11 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
1.7 yrs
2019-09-12 → 2021-06-04
Power rating
1468
peak 1468 · #4726 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2017
- First tracked contest 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)
- Peak power rating (1490) 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)
- 2018
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score651.8632 *BBQ and Fly In on the River(JUDGES FULL)
- 2019
- First call Kelly Wilson BBQ (KWBBQ)
- 2021
- Career-best overall score675.3256 Kelley Wilson BBQ (KWBBQ)
- 10th tracked contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST
- 2023
- Career-best single call (Chicken)176.5600 American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
- 2025
- Most recent contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +12 | Kelley Wilson BBQ (KWBBQ) | 2021-06-04 |
| +9.6 | Kelly Wilson BBQ (KWBBQ) | 2019-05-31 |
| +4.6 | The Best Dam BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake | 2019-04-12 |
| +1.8 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2023-09-27 |
| +1 | *BBQ and Fly In on the River(JUDGES FULL) | 2018-08-17 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11.3 | The Best Dam BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake | 2018-04-13 |
| -11.2 | 39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) | 2018-09-15 |
| -10.3 | 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) | 2017-09-01 |
| -9.3 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2025-11-05 |
| -7.4 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST | 2019-09-12 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 93% | 87.5% | 87.5% |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 68% | 92% | 92% |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 59% | 92.7% | 92.7% |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 68% | 91.2% | 90.7% |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 32% | 93.8% | 93.8% |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 53% | 92.3% | 90.4% |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 84% | 90.5% | 82.7% |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 92% | 84.7% | 84.7% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-05 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025-11-05 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 371 / 401 (630.0568) | 313 (163.9428) | 371 (155.9428) | 389 (150.1940) | 325 (159.9772) |
| 2025-10-03 | Gladstone Smokefest (ONE MEAT RIBS) Gladstone, MO | — | — | 8 (168.5372) | — | — |
| 2024-10-30 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2024-10-30 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 300 / 444 (662.2284) | 184 (170.8344) | 261 (167.9656) | 195 (169.7028) | 382 (153.7256) |
| 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 | 285 / 487 (667.3028) | 53 (176.5600) | 295 (166.2400) | 245 (167.9772) | 411 (156.5256) |
| 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 | 346 / 505 (653.6112) | 410 (159.9544) | 244 (167.4056) | 284 (166.2284) | 356 (160.0228) |
| 2022-06-03 | Kelley Wilson Memorial BBQ Competition 🏅 Kansas City, MO | 26 / 41 (648.4116) | 16 (171.4056) | 31 (158.2288) | 16 (169.1200) | 33 (149.6572) |
| 2022-04-22 | Smokin' in the Creek BBQ Contest (JUDGE'S FULL) 🏅 Sugar Creek, MO | 25 / 35 (656.9944) | 21 (167.3944) | 28 (160.5144) | 29 (161.7028) | 21 (167.3828) |
| 2021-09-16 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 186 / 467 (150.2628) | 288 (163.3828) | 87 (172.5484) | 333 (159.3944) | 84 (171.4172) |
| 2021-06-04 | Kelley Wilson BBQ (KWBBQ) 🏅 Kansas City, MO | 13 / 55 (675.3256) | 16 (171.4056) | 23 (164.5372) | 8 (174.8572) | 21 (164.5256) |
| 2019-09-12 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 366 / 468 (634.7768) | 386 (156.5828) | 250 (165.1200) | 296 (162.2856) | 403 (150.7884) |
| 2019-05-31 | Kelly Wilson BBQ (KWBBQ) 🏅 Kansas City, MO | 17 / 56 (664.4228) | 9 (173.1084) | 19 (166.2516) | 30 (161.0972) | 22 (163.9656) |
| 2019-04-12 | The Best Dam BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake 🏅 Smithville, MO | 28 / 54 (654.1144) | 28 (166.2628) | 39 (160.5144) | 39 (160.5028) | 21 (166.8344) |
| 2018-09-15 | 39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 460 / 467 (512.5028) | 48 (174.2972) | 380 (157.1200) | 310 (161.0856) | 462 (20.0000) |
| 2018-08-17 | *BBQ and Fly In on the River(JUDGES FULL) Excelsior Springs, MO | 36 / 57 (651.8632) | 29 (166.2400) | 38 (161.0972) | 27 (167.3944) | 43 (157.1316) |
| 2018-07-27 | *Racing for the BBQ Lee's Summit, MO | 52 / 66 (614.6856) | 50 (151.9772) | 53 (142.8000) | 35 (162.2628) | 34 (157.6456) |
| 2018-04-13 | The Best Dam BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake Smithville, MO | 49 / 51 (602.1144) | 49 (145.6228) | 41 (157.7144) | 49 (147.9656) | 47 (150.8116) |
| 2017-09-01 | 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 375 / 407 (609.5888) | 379 (150.8000) | 359 (151.9772) | 288 (160.5944) | 368 (146.2172) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #1148 (60 pts) | #1221 (60 pts) | #834 (187 pts) | #1190 (60 pts) | #1190 (60 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #1182 (60 pts) | #1242 (60 pts) | #1317 (60 pts) | #1231 (60 pts) | #1204 (60 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #1255 (60 pts) | #1319 (60 pts) | #1432 (60 pts) | #1287 (60 pts) | #1296 (60 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #807 (180 pts) | #734 (245 pts) | #912 (180 pts) | #764 (225 pts) | #801 (200 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #917 (120 pts) | #1114 (105 pts) | #1269 (70 pts) | #855 (155 pts) | #1170 (80 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1113 (220 pts) | #1030 (265 pts) | #1197 (210 pts) | #1301 (180 pts) | #1176 (215 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1954 (60 pts) | #2012 (60 pts) | #1996 (60 pts) | #2030 (60 pts) | #1990 (60 pts) |