Slayton's Barbeque Company

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

Power ranking

#1316

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1577

peak 1615 · rated over 49 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2014-05-02

latest 2025-07-25

Best ToY finish

#187

Master 2017

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

14 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 49 contests

Avg finish

top 50%

overall standings

Best overall

698.8348 / 720

Master · The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ

Perfect 180s

Current form

666.49 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 664.27 (+2.22)

Walk rate

65%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

179.4400

Brisket · TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest

Consistency

±26.57

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 167.49 · weakest Brisket (163.93)

Road miles

11,703

mi across 49 mapped stops · furthest 915 mi

Schedule strength

72%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1591)

Purse competed for

$176K

listed at 14 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 19 state-championship entries

Master avg

664.27 / 720

49 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (13 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 heartbreaker

3.4284 points from the title

Came within 3.4284 points of the Grand Championship at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (2017-06-23).

Happy hunting ground

Top 13% average finish here

The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ is their spot: an average finish in the top 13% across 3 visits.

3 visits
best finish 3rd
average top 13%

They almost always walk

65% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 32 of 49 contests

A top-10 category call in 65% of their 49 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

698.8348 career-best overall

97.1% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 698.8348 at The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ — 97.1% of a perfect 720.

Master
2017-05-05

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

MUTTLEY CREW BBQ has finished one call ahead of Slayton's Barbeque Company 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2017 their best year

2017 was the year it came together: 11 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 40%.

11 contests
4 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 40%

A tough matchup

23–2 behind in the head-to-head

Organizer Portal ahead in 92% of their meetings

Organizer Portal has come out ahead in 23 of their 25 shared contests.

A strong matchup

6–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Smoke Therapy in 6 of their 6 shared contests.

Pork nemesis

16 of 25 shared pork entries lost

Organizer Portal ahead 64% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Organizer Portal has out-cooked them in 16 of 25 shared pork entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

King's Cooking has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A June team

Top 40% average finish in June

Something about June: average finish in the top 40% across 5 contests, versus top 50% the rest of the year.

5 June contests
top 50% the rest of the year

The long haul

11,703 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 11,703 miles across 49 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 915 miles to Sam's Club National BBQ Tour.

49 mapped stops
furthest 915 mi

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Smoke on the Falls every year from 2017 to 2020 — the contest they never miss.

5 visits in all
best finish 16th

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.

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

SOUTHERN SMOKERS

#1317 of the rated field

1577 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1636

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Slayton's Barbeque Company)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Slayton's Barbeque Company has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 28 contests
last seen 2019-06-21

⚔ Head-to-head

BAMBQ

#1311 of the rated field

1577 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 41
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 15%
Peak: 1588

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 41 contests to 49, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 41 contests
last seen 2023-07-28

⚔ Head-to-head

BO B Q BBQ

#1314 of the rated field

1577 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 67
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 19%
Peak: 1603

No shared contest yet.

67 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 19% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 67 contests
last seen 2026-07-31

⚔ Head-to-head

303 BBQ

#1309 of the rated field

1577 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 33
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 24%
Peak: 1577

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 32 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 32 contests
last seen 2023-06-16

⚔ Head-to-head

MEADOW VALLEY BBQ CO.

#1310 of the rated field

1577 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 30
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1632

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 7 years before Slayton's Barbeque Company's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 29 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

LION 'BOUT THE Q

#1312 of the rated field

1577 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 36%
Peak: 1583

No shared contest yet.

Level with Slayton's Barbeque Company on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 25 contests
last seen 2019-06-21

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Organizer Portal	25	2	23	8%	⚔ compare
JIGGY PIGGY	19	7	12	37%	⚔ compare
CONTAGIOUS Q	19	4	15	21%	⚔ compare
South Pork	17	5	12	29%	⚔ compare
BEES KNEES BBQ TEAM	16	7	9	44%	⚔ compare
The Specialists	16	4	12	25%	⚔ compare
Sheats Smoked Meats	14	9	5	64%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN BUTT CREW	14	5	9	36%	⚔ compare
FAT, DRUNK & STUPID	14	5	9	36%	⚔ compare
BUSH LEAGUE BBQ	12	6	6	50%	⚔ compare
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	12	3	9	25%	⚔ compare
Chokin "N" tha Smoke	11	7	4	64%	⚔ compare
LEE LA Q	11	1	9	9%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS	10	4	6	40%	⚔ compare
HICKORY PRIME	10	3	7	30%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	49	17	0	3	177.7144	144.5256	167.36	top 49%
Pork Ribs	49	11	0	4	178.2972	127.7944	165.49	top 52%
Pork	49	17	2	5	178.8572	146.8340	167.49	top 45%
Brisket	49	12	0	2	179.4400	122.0572	163.93	top 53%

“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	Avg finish
AL	19	top 42%
VA	8	top 66%
TN	7	top 54%
MD	6	top 59%
GA	3	top 35%
NC	2	top 36%
SC	1	top 63%
CT	1	top 42%
DC	1	top 34%
PA	1	top 76%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	3	top 55%
Medium (20–39)	30	top 55%
Large (40+)	16	top 40%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Smoke on the Falls	5	16	top 61%	2023-04-07
Smoke on the Mountain	3	25	top 83%	2025-07-25
Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-Off	3	13	top 65%	2019-07-26
The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ	3	3	top 13%	2019-05-03
Smoke on the Mountain BBQ Championship 2022	2	11	top 66%	2022-07-21
TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest	2	11	top 51%	2020-09-25
Saltwater Brew 'N' Que	2	3	top 43%	2016-05-20

The story so far (18 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 11.2 yrs 2014-05-02 → 2025-07-25

Busiest season 2017 11 contests

Contests a season 4.1 across 12 seasons in the data

Cooks most in AL 19 of 49 contests · 10 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 36 7 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 49 entries · 0 wins · 17 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 167.49 · weakest Brisket (163.93)

Walk rate 65% a top-10 call in 32 of 49 contests

Overall top-10 rate 18% 9 of 49 contests

Best top-10 run 2 straight contests

Master average 664.27 out of 720 · 49 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 1,235 1,299–1,082 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 11,703 49 mapped stops · furthest 915 mi

Schedule strength 1591 average field rating faced — tougher than 72% of rated contests

Purse competed for $176,160 listed at 14 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 19 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 1.2 yrs 2019-07-26 → 2020-09-18

Power rating 1577 peak 1615 · #1316 of 6,413 rated

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

2014
May 2 First tracked contest Naptown barBAYq Contest & Music Festival
2015
Apr 24 First call Saltwater Brew 'N' Que
2016
Apr 15 First category win (Pork) *Interstate BBQ Festival
Apr 15 First overall past 90% of a perfect score655.9316 *Interstate BBQ Festival
May 20 First overall top-10 Saltwater Brew 'N' Que
May 20 First overall podium Saltwater Brew 'N' Que
Jul 15 10th tracked contest Smoke on the mountain/VA state BBQ championship
2017
May 5 Career-best overall score698.8348 The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ
Jun 23 First Reserve Championship Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
2018
Mar 9 25th tracked contest Smoke on the Shores
2020
Sep 25 Career-best single call (Brisket)179.4400 TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest
2021
Aug 13 Peak power rating (1615) Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ
2025
Jul 25 Most recent contest Smoke on the Mountain

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.3	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2017-06-23
+16.1	Beltway BBQ Showdown	2016-06-03
+15.7	Saltwater Brew 'N' Que	2016-05-20
+15.3	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ	2017-05-05
+12.6	Smoke on the Shores	2018-03-09

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-14	Smoke on the Mountain	2025-07-25
-13.4	Pig and A Jig BBQ Festival	2014-05-30
-11.5	Smoke on the Mountain	2024-07-26
-9.2	Smoke on the Mountain	2023-07-21
-9	Poosa Q	2022-05-05

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2025	1	0	0	0%	top 97%	89.1%	89.1%
2024	1	0	0	100%	top 78%	91.4%	91.4%
2023	3	1	0	67%	top 48%	97.1%	94.1%
2022	2	0	0	0%	top 65%	92.9%	92.8%
2021	4	1	0	75%	top 43%	95.1%	93.5%
2020	3	0	0	100%	top 49%	96.5%	93.5%
2019	5	1	0	80%	top 48%	95.5%	93%
2018	6	0	0	17%	top 48%	95.2%	93.5%
2017	11	4	0	73%	top 40%	97.1%	94.2%
2016	9	2	2	89%	top 46%	95.1%	91.4%
2015	2	0	0	100%	top 70%	86.6%	86.3%
2014	2	0	0	0%	top 84%	85.1%	80.2%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2025-07-25	Smoke on the Mountain 🏅 Galax, VA	36 / 37 (641.5088)	36 (156.5144)	34 (161.6456)	13 (170.2744)	36 (153.0744)
2024-07-26	Smoke on the Mountain 🏅 Galax, VA	25 / 32 (658.1372)	8 (173.7028)	32 (155.3600)	22 (167.9772)	26 (161.0972)
2023-10-27	Railyard BBQ Brawl 2023 🏅 Madison, AL	4 / 14 (698.8116)	10 (168.5372)	3 (178.2972)	4 (178.8572)	6 (173.1200)
2023-07-21	Smoke on the Mountain 🏅 Galax, VA	28 / 38 (661.5312)	22 (169.6800)	26 (165.0856)	31 (161.6800)	24 (165.0856)
2023-04-07	Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL	16 / 39 (672.4452)	30 (161.6340)	13 (170.2628)	22 (166.8112)	4 (173.7372)
2022-07-21	Smoke on the Mountain BBQ Championship 2022 🏅 Galax, VA	17 / 25 (667.8400)	17 (167.3828)	12 (171.4288)	14 (168.5256)	19 (160.5028)
2022-05-05	Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL	45 / 72 (668.9828)	30 (170.8228)	21 (171.9888)	50 (165.6684)	59 (160.5028)
2021-08-13	Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ 🏅 Huntsville, AL	12 / 49 (684.5028)	28 (167.3828)	19 (168.5372)	5 (175.4400)	12 (173.1428)
2021-07-23	Smoke on the Mountain BBQ Championship 🏅 Galax, VA	11 / 17 (657.5432)	14 (163.9428)	10 (165.0972)	8 (166.8460)	12 (161.6572)
2021-04-09	Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL	10 / 38 (675.8856)	11 (172.5600)	27 (163.9544)	3 (175.4056)	24 (163.9656)
2021-03-19	Smoke on The Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN	32 / 57 (674.7544)	37 (164.5372)	41 (163.9544)	14 (173.1200)	15 (173.1428)
2020-11-06	Currituck Bulls & BBQ 🏅 Powells Point, NC	11 / 28 (679.8972)	11 (171.4172)	2 (174.2628)	16 (168.5372)	16 (165.6800)
2020-09-25	TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest 🏅 Savannah, TN	11 / 47 (694.8460)	9 (174.8572)	29 (166.8344)	13 (173.7144)	3 (179.4400)
2020-09-18	Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL	24 / 28 (644.4116)	10 (169.1316)	26 (153.6572)	4 (174.2628)	28 (147.3600)
2019-07-26	Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Hartselle, AL	13 / 27 (663.2800)	15 (167.9772)	19 (160.4912)	18 (163.3944)	7 (171.4172)
2019-05-03	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ 🏅 Huntsville, AL	6 / 54 (687.3024)	23 (168.5140)	11 (172.5600)	4 (174.2628)	11 (171.9656)
2019-04-12	Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL	16 / 30 (664.9828)	8 (171.9772)	23 (158.8000)	22 (161.6456)	6 (172.5600)
2019-03-29	TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest 🏅 Savannah, TN	23 / 29 (665.5768)	27 (160.5256)	16 (166.2284)	23 (165.0972)	9 (173.7256)
2019-03-01	Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA	31 / 62 (667.8628)	25 (169.6800)	17 (170.8572)	25 (167.3828)	45 (159.9428)
2018-07-27	*Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-off Hartselle, AL	20 / 27 (658.1712)	23 (163.3712)	11 (170.2744)	24 (157.6684)	14 (166.8572)
2018-06-22	Blount County BBQ Bash Maryville, TN	19 / 36 (668.4456)	23 (163.9656)	22 (161.6800)	11 (171.9772)	12 (170.8228)
2018-05-04	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL	14 / 61 (682.2060)	19 (172.5600)	6 (175.4172)	47 (163.3828)	26 (170.8460)
2018-04-20	High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN	25 / 42 (672.9828)	27 (168.5256)	27 (167.3944)	17 (170.8228)	26 (166.2400)
2018-04-13	Smoke on the Falls Gadsden, AL	26 / 38 (670.1372)	13 (173.1200)	20 (168.5372)	33 (158.8000)	22 (169.6800)
2018-03-09	Smoke on the Shores Nashville, TN	11 / 87 (685.6228)	18 (173.1200)	40 (166.2400)	28 (171.4172)	12 (174.8456)
2017-10-13	The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival (GBC Qualifier) Lyons, GA	10 / 29 (686.7312)	9 (170.8228)	15 (168.5372)	3 (175.4056)	10 (171.9656)
2017-09-15	Big Brother Big Sister Riverfest Decatur, AL	14 / 39 (677.5772)	5 (177.7144)	27 (162.8000)	13 (168.5372)	17 (168.5256)
2017-08-04	*Pigs & Pedals Asheboro, NC	15 / 46 (662.7200)	17 (163.9544)	3 (174.8572)	16 (165.1200)	32 (158.7884)
2017-07-28	*Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-off Hartselle, AL	20 / 27 (658.1712)	23 (163.3712)	11 (170.2744)	24 (157.6684)	14 (166.8572)
2017-06-30	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Bartlett, TN	28 / 30 (678.1716)	29 (167.3828)	21 (167.9772)	19 (171.9772)	20 (170.8344)
2017-06-23	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Birmingham, AL	2 / 28 (697.6688)	3 (176.5600)	7 (174.8456)	5 (173.1316)	6 (173.1316)
2017-05-05	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL	3 / 69 (698.8348)	8 (176.0000)	25 (169.7032)	2 (177.7144)	4 (175.4172)
2017-04-07	Smoke on the Falls Gadsden, AL	16 / 28 (675.8628)	14 (169.6800)	18 (166.2284)	12 (171.4172)	14 (168.5372)
2017-03-10	Flames on the Flint Bainbridge, GA	14 / 67 (677.0520)	3 (176.0000)	28 (167.4060)	45 (165.0972)	29 (168.5488)
2017-03-03	*Bodagetta BBQ Auburn, AL	11 / 25 (676.4572)	4 (174.2628)	11 (169.6916)	7 (170.8228)	16 (161.6800)
2017-02-24	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Daphne, AL	10 / 28 (673.0284)	10 (172.0116)	4 (175.4056)	15 (163.3712)	19 (162.2400)
2016-08-26	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) N. Charleston, SC	19 / 30 (673.0972)	22 (168.0000)	28 (158.8344)	9 (172.0000)	7 (174.2628)
2016-08-19	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour South Windsor, CT	11 / 26 (657.5772)	8 (168.5716)	19 (157.6572)	10 (166.2284)	10 (165.1200)
2016-08-05	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Laurel, MD	20 / 29 (642.0912)	17 (164.5600)	18 (163.3944)	19 (158.7884)	20 (155.3484)
2016-07-15	Smoke on the mountain/VA state BBQ championship Galax, VA	15 / 25 (654.0684)	16 (161.6572)	11 (168.5256)	10 (165.6800)	18 (158.2056)
2016-06-25	Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle Washington, DC	12 / 35 (673.0284)	8 (171.4056)	17 (167.9772)	11 (169.6684)	21 (163.9772)
2016-06-03	Beltway BBQ Showdown Fort Washington, MD	4 / 37 (684.5716)	17 (163.9884)	2 (177.1544)	1 (178.8572)	14 (164.5716)
2016-05-20	Saltwater Brew 'N' Que Chincoteague, VA	3 / 23 (667.4176)	8 (164.6172)	5 (166.2744)	4 (166.8460)	3 (169.6800)
2016-04-15	*Interstate BBQ Festival Hagerstown, MD	17 / 41 (655.9316)	32 (158.2512)	7 (169.7028)	1 (175.4516)	32 (152.5260)
2016-04-01	The Ironman Greencastle, PA	41 / 54 (614.6628)	48 (146.7656)	42 (153.0972)	8 (167.4172)	46 (147.3828)
2015-05-01	Naptown barBAYq Contest and Music Festival Annapolis, MD	43 / 64 (623.2572)	10 (170.8800)	51 (149.6688)	55 (151.9312)	53 (150.7772)
2015-04-24	Saltwater Brew 'N' Que Chincoteague, VA	13 / 18 (619.2456)	3 (167.4400)	9 (159.9428)	13 (157.6912)	18 (134.1716)
2014-05-30	Pig and A Jig BBQ Festival Snow Hill, MD	29 / 30 (541.2112)	28 (144.5256)	29 (127.7944)	26 (146.8340)	30 (122.0572)
2014-05-02	Naptown barBAYq Contest & Music Festival Annapolis, MD	42 / 59 (612.9716)	33 (156.5600)	42 (152.5372)	35 (156.5372)	43 (147.3372)

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	#635 (249 pts)	#815 (189 pts)	#717 (274 pts)	#669 (249 pts)	#749 (219 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#909 (150 pts)	#947 (150 pts)	#870 (195 pts)	#914 (165 pts)	#954 (140 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#343 (555 pts)	#427 (470 pts)	#355 (580 pts)	#257 (770 pts)	#398 (505 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#516 (188 pts)	#428 (273 pts)	#764 (113 pts)	#365 (323 pts)	#412 (288 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#700 (451 pts)	#845 (376 pts)	#839 (376 pts)	#752 (431 pts)	#567 (596 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#643 (532 pts)	#720 (497 pts)	#637 (577 pts)	#754 (467 pts)	#666 (552 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#187 (1553 pts)	#153 (1578 pts)	#219 (1378 pts)	#150 (1603 pts)	#321 (1143 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#329 (1103 pts)	#425 (923 pts)	#330 (1103 pts)	#164 (1528 pts)	#405 (988 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1486 (163 pts)	#962 (353 pts)	#1435 (188 pts)	#1590 (163 pts)	#1665 (138 pts)