They almost always walk
72%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 23 of 32 contests
A top-10 category call in 72% of their 32 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
MORT'S MEAT MAFIA
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1505
peak 1539 · rated over 31 contests ⓘ
Contests
32
in the data
First seen
2014-07-18
latest 2026-05-22
Best ToY finish
#596
Master 2018
Grand champs
0
1 reserve
Category wins
3
12 podiums
Overall top-10s
8
of 32 contests
Avg finish
top 53%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
659.60 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 640.06 (+19.54)
Walk rate
72%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
2
best run (overall)
Consistency
±29.31
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 163.07 · weakest Brisket (153.90)
Road miles
7,578
mi across 32 mapped stops · furthest 1102 mi
Schedule strength
35%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1546)
Purse competed for
$133K
listed at 12 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 12 state-championship entries
Master avg
640.06 / 720
32 Master contests · 0 GCs
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.
High-water mark
675.8744
career-best overall
93.9% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 675.8744 at Big Knob BBQ & Cash Fest — 93.9% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2026-05-22
The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
KISS MY BBQ has finished one call ahead of MORT'S MEAT MAFIA 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
Their season
2018
their best year
2018 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 34%.
- 5 contests
- 3 overall top-10s
- 1 category wins
- average top 34%
A tough matchup
16–0
behind in the head-to-head
GOOD SMOKE BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings
GOOD SMOKE BBQ has come out ahead in 16 of their 16 shared contests.
The weak link
−9.2
points behind their best meat
Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 9.18 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 31% of the time against 27%.
- Brisket avg 153.90
- Chicken avg 163.07
- 10 calls in 32 entries
A strong matchup
5–1
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 83% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of THE SMOKING DUTCHMAN in 5 of their 6 shared contests.
The comeback
2.9 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 2.9 years, then back at Big Knob BBQ & Cash Fest (2026-05-22).
- last seen 2023-06-16
- back 2026-05-22
Chicken nemesis
15 of 16
shared chicken entries lost
RED VALLEY BBQ ahead 94% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, RED VALLEY BBQ has out-cooked them in 15 of 16 shared chicken entries.
A big fish in small ponds
Top 38%
average finish in small fields
Field size changes the story: they average a top 38% finish in small fields against top 53% in large ones.
- Small (<20 teams): top 38% (5)
- Large (40+): top 53% (14)
Looking over their shoulder
2×
one call behind them
NEANDERTHAL Q has landed one call behind them 2 times.
The long haul
7,578
road miles between contests
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 7,578 miles across 32 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,102 miles to Bixby Rotary BBQ'N Blues Festival.
- 32 mapped stops
- furthest 1,102 mi
A standing appointment
4
years running at one contest
They've cooked *Salt City BBQ Festival every year from 2015 to 2018 — the contest they never miss.
- 4 visits in all
- best finish 4th
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.
109 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2997 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 33%
- Peak
- 1506
1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to MORT'S MEAT MAFIA)
2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team MORT'S MEAT MAFIA has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#3024 of the rated field
- Contests
- 33
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 9%
- Peak
- 1508
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2023, 3 years before MORT'S MEAT MAFIA's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#3020 of the rated field
- Contests
- 36
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 11%
- Peak
- 1515
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 36 contests to 32, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#2995 of the rated field
- Contests
- 24
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 8%
- Peak
- 1522
No shared contest yet.
24 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 8% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-head#2998 of the rated field
- Contests
- 22
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 9%
- Peak
- 1520
No shared contest yet.
Level with MORT'S MEAT MAFIA on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-head#3023 of the rated field
- Contests
- 62
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 15%
- Peak
- 1587
No shared contest yet.
They've been 1587 at their best, 83 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THREE DOGS BBQ | 18 | 7 | 11 | 39% | ⚔ compare |
| RED VALLEY BBQ | 16 | 7 | 9 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| GOOD SMOKE BBQ | 16 | 0 | 16 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| BEHIND BBQ | 15 | 5 | 10 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| KISS MY BBQ | 14 | 4 | 10 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS | 14 | 1 | 13 | 7% | ⚔ compare |
| THE GOOD CUE CREW | 13 | 3 | 10 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
| Priorville BBQ | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Sweet Heat BBQ | 12 | 3 | 9 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| BLACK HART BBQ | 11 | 4 | 7 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| PULLIN' MY MONEY MUSCLE | 11 | 2 | 9 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS | 11 | 1 | 10 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG RAZ BBQ | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN' WEAD BBQ | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| Holy Smokes NY | 9 | 3 | 5 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 33 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 178.8800 | 150.8000 | 163.07 | top 53% |
| Pork Ribs | 34 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 175.4172 | 143.3484 | 162.88 | top 44% |
| Pork | 32 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 175.4056 | 145.7028 | 160.64 | top 51% |
| Brisket | 32 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 170.8112 | 20.0000 | 153.90 | top 55% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NY | 18 | 0 | top 50% |
| PA | 8 | 0 | top 52% |
| WV | 3 | 0 | top 65% |
| OK | 1 | 0 | top 53% |
| OH | 1 | 0 | top 59% |
| AR | 1 | 0 | top 72% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 5 | 0 | top 38% |
| Medium (20–39) | 13 | 0 | top 59% |
| Large (40+) | 14 | 0 | top 53% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oinktoberfest | 4 | 10 | 0 | top 56% | 2019-09-21 |
| *Salt City BBQ Festival | 4 | 4 | 0 | top 47% | 2018-05-18 |
| Hudson Valley Ribfest | 3 | 17 | 0 | top 40% | 2019-08-16 |
| New Holland Summer Fest | 2 | 23 | 0 | top 55% | 2022-08-26 |
| Almost Heaven BBQ Bash | 2 | 12 | 0 | top 53% | 2022-06-17 |
| BBQ in The Valley | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 58% | 2018-05-04 |
| *Conquer The Grill | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 47% | 2017-06-02 |
| Finger Lakes Fire & Smoke | 2 | 14 | 0 | top 62% | 2016-09-03 |
The story so far (18 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
11.8 yrs
2014-07-18 → 2026-05-22
Busiest season
2019
6 contests
Contests a season
3.2
across 10 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
NY
18 of 32 contests · 6 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
19
8 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
34 entries · 1 win · 15 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 163.07 · weakest Brisket (153.90)
Walk rate
72%
a top-10 call in 23 of 32 contests
Overall top-10 rate
25%
8 of 32 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight contests
Master average
640.06
out of 720 · 32 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
625
525–707 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
7,578
32 mapped stops · furthest 1,102 mi
Schedule strength
1546
average field rating faced — tougher than 35% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$132,725
listed at 12 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 12 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
2.9 yrs
2023-06-16 → 2026-05-22
Power rating
1505
peak 1539 · #3009 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2014
- First tracked contest Warren County All American BBQ Festival
- First call Warren County All American BBQ Festival
- 2015
- First overall top-10 Salt City BBQ Festival
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score651.3832 Salt City BBQ Festival
- 2016
- First category win (Chicken) Finger Lakes Fire & Smoke
- Career-best single call (Chicken)178.8800 Finger Lakes Fire & Smoke
- 10th tracked contest Ointoberfest BBQ Cookoff
- 2018
- First overall podium *Tunes, Brews & BBQ's
- First Reserve Championship *Tunes, Brews & BBQ's
- 2019
- 25th tracked contest Route Six Ribfest
- Peak power rating (1539) Oinktoberfest
- 2026
- Career-best overall score675.8744 Big Knob BBQ & Cash Fest
- Most recent contest Big Knob BBQ & Cash Fest
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.8 | *Tunes, Brews & BBQ's | 2018-09-14 |
| +12.4 | Route Six Ribfest | 2019-08-31 |
| +11.9 | Salt City BBQ Festival | 2015-05-15 |
| +11.3 | Oinktoberfest | 2018-09-22 |
| +10.5 | BBQ in The Valley | 2018-05-04 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -14.4 | Oinktoberfest | 2017-09-22 |
| -11.8 | Salamanca Rock'in Ribfest | 2016-08-12 |
| -10 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash | 2023-06-16 |
| -9.9 | Finger Lakes Fire & Smoke | 2015-09-04 |
| -8.5 | BBQ In the Valley | 2017-05-05 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 64% | 93.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 89% | 89.1% | 89.1% |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 68% | 92.4% | 91% |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 56% | 93.1% | 92.2% |
| 2019 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100% | top 39% | 93.5% | 92.2% |
| 2018 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 80% | top 34% | 91.8% | 89.7% |
| 2017 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60% | top 70% | 90.8% | 84.1% |
| 2016 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 83% | top 51% | 90% | 87.9% |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33% | top 59% | 90.5% | 86.6% |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 62% | 87.9% | 87.9% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-22 | Big Knob BBQ & Cash Fest 🏅 Rochester, PA | 9 / 14 (675.8744) | 10 (167.9772) | 2 (174.2744) | 11 (165.0972) | 7 (168.5256) |
| 2023-06-16 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash 🏅 Buckhannon, WV | 25 / 28 (641.5084) | 27 (155.9544) | 25 (159.9428) | 14 (170.8228) | 26 (154.7884) |
| 2022-08-26 | New Holland Summer Fest 🏅 New Holland, PA | 37 / 49 (644.9484) | 24 (167.9656) | 24 (167.9656) | 42 (158.2172) | 38 (150.8000) |
| 2022-06-17 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash 🏅 Roanoke, WV | 12 / 20 (665.5544) | 13 (166.8344) | 12 (167.3828) | 16 (162.8116) | 9 (168.5256) |
| 2021-05-07 | Bixby Rotary BBQ'N Blues Festival 🏅 Bixby, OK | 28 / 53 (670.1140) | 24 (171.9656) | 18 (171.9772) | 38 (161.6456) | 24 (164.5256) |
| 2021-04-23 | Marietta River City BBQ 🏅 Marietta, OH | 17 / 29 (658.2744) | 28 (154.2284) | 4 (174.3772) | 23 (161.6572) | 14 (168.0116) |
| 2019-09-21 | Oinktoberfest 🏅 Clarence, NY | 13 / 43 (637.1312) | 5 (164.5944) | 4 (171.4172) | 14 (164.5600) | 10 (167.9656) |
| 2019-08-31 | Route Six Ribfest 🏅 Coudersport, PA | 3 / 16 (673.0400) | 4 (173.7144) | 6 (165.6684) | 5 (166.2744) | 5 (167.3828) |
| 2019-08-23 | New Holland Summer Fest 🏅 New Holland, PA | 23 / 65 (660.9940) | 57 (150.8000) | 9 (172.5600) | 17 (166.8228) | 8 (170.8112) |
| 2019-08-16 | Hudson Valley Ribfest 🏅 New Paltz, NY | 17 / 53 (659.9088) | 16 (167.9772) | 23 (163.9888) | 2 (173.1200) | 36 (154.8228) |
| 2019-06-07 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash 🏅 Roanoke, WV | 14 / 31 (659.3372) | 11 (167.4056) | 1 (175.4172) | 6 (167.9772) | 24 (148.5372) |
| 2019-02-08 | KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Championship 🏅 unrated Little Rock, AR | 66 / 92 (667.2684) | 72 (166.2628) | 82 (161.6572) | 10 (175.4056) | 77 (163.9428) |
| 2018-09-22 | Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY | 10 / 51 (648.0228) | 14 (165.1428) | 2 (172.5828) | 29 (153.1428) | 13 (157.1544) |
| 2018-09-14 | *Tunes, Brews & BBQ's Penn Yan, NY | 2 / 14 (661.1432) | 10 (165.1316) | 7 (161.7028) | 1 (166.2972) | 2 (168.0116) |
| 2018-08-17 | Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY | 32 / 58 (641.6116) | 39 (160.5028) | 7 (169.7260) | 48 (153.1428) | 28 (158.2400) |
| 2018-05-18 | *Salt City BBQ Festival Syracuse, NY | 17 / 34 (628.4916) | 13 (162.2400) | 24 (151.9772) | 13 (159.3828) | 23 (154.8916) |
| 2018-05-04 | BBQ in The Valley Jamestown, NY | 8 / 25 (650.2284) | 20 (158.2744) | 16 (157.7028) | 3 (169.7028) | 11 (164.5484) |
| 2017-09-22 | Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY | 53 / 53 (515.4056) | 20 (165.6800) | 5 (168.6056) | 17 (161.1200) | 53 (20.0000) |
| 2017-08-18 | Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY | 19 / 59 (654.1028) | 5 (173.1200) | 3 (171.4172) | 44 (153.0744) | 33 (156.4912) |
| 2017-06-02 | *Conquer The Grill Coudersport, PA | 8 / 12 (637.6568) | 4 (165.6684) | 10 (154.8800) | 10 (151.4056) | 5 (165.7028) |
| 2017-05-19 | *Salt City BBQ Festival Syracuse, NY | 28 / 41 (610.6852) | 28 (157.1544) | 36 (143.3484) | 11 (160.0112) | 21 (150.1712) |
| 2017-05-05 | BBQ In the Valley Jamestown, NY | 22 / 26 (608.9596) | 17 (160.5712) | 24 (146.2400) | 21 (151.3600) | 20 (150.7884) |
| 2016-09-23 | Ointoberfest BBQ Cookoff Clarence, NY | 16 / 54 (645.6116) | 15 (164.5256) | 41 (150.2172) | 23 (161.1200) | 5 (169.7488) |
| 2016-09-03 | Finger Lakes Fire & Smoke Geneva, NY | 14 / 35 (645.1548) | 1 (178.8800) | 26 (152.5716) | 10 (165.7144) | 30 (147.9888) |
| 2016-08-12 | Salamanca Rock'in Ribfest Salamanca, NY | 26 / 28 (618.2056) | 7 (169.7028) | 28 (151.3372) | 26 (145.7028) | 24 (151.4628) |
| 2016-06-03 | Conquer The Grill Coudersport, PA | 5 / 18 (647.9656) | 3 (165.6684) | 11 (157.7372) | 6 (160.5828) | 2 (163.9772) |
| 2016-05-20 | Salt City BBQ Festival Syracuse, NY | 16 / 32 (611.8968) | 17 (153.6684) | 5 (166.2856) | 10 (158.8456) | 32 (133.0972) |
| 2016-04-01 | The Ironman Greencastle, PA | 36 / 54 (626.7544) | 40 (155.3828) | 15 (163.4516) | 43 (152.0000) | 33 (155.9200) |
| 2015-09-19 | Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY | 38 / 52 (614.2052) | 41 (151.9428) | 32 (153.1540) | 24 (158.8228) | 35 (150.2856) |
| 2015-09-04 | Finger Lakes Fire & Smoke Geneva, NY | 21 / 25 (605.6112) | 13 (160.5484) | 11 (160.0000) | 19 (150.2628) | 23 (134.8000) |
| 2015-05-15 | Salt City BBQ Festival Syracuse, NY | 4 / 21 (651.3832) | 13 (158.2744) | 2 (168.0116) | 9 (160.5372) | 5 (164.5600) |
| 2014-07-18 | Warren County All American BBQ Festival Pittsfield, PA | 13 / 21 (633.1544) | 16 (158.2972) | 6 (162.8572) | 17 (153.7028) | 11 (158.2972) |
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 ↗ | Master | #754 (124 pts) | #877 (114 pts) | #642 (239 pts) | #853 (109 pts) | #726 (144 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #1604 (53 pts) | #1631 (53 pts) | #1726 (53 pts) | #1111 (108 pts) | #1601 (53 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #852 (170 pts) | #902 (170 pts) | #940 (175 pts) | #961 (150 pts) | #817 (190 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #829 (154 pts) | #1039 (119 pts) | #601 (299 pts) | #950 (124 pts) | #820 (174 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #656 (496 pts) | #788 (416 pts) | #708 (476 pts) | #536 (641 pts) | #656 (516 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #596 (579 pts) | #900 (364 pts) | #565 (664 pts) | #613 (609 pts) | #676 (539 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #1157 (258 pts) | #1063 (338 pts) | #1341 (228 pts) | #1113 (313 pts) | #1073 (318 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #639 (603 pts) | #422 (928 pts) | #696 (578 pts) | #661 (608 pts) | #604 (663 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #962 (326 pts) | #1132 (276 pts) | #844 (426 pts) | #1182 (276 pts) | #1073 (291 pts) |