The heartbreaker
1.6796
points from the title
Came within 1.6796 points of the Grand Championship at Massachusetts in May (Day 2) (May 17, 2025).
New Pigs on the Block
New Pigs on the Block is a competition barbecue team with 33 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2023 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 29 at the Massachusetts in May (Day 2) (2025), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #1325 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1578
peak 1578 · rated over 25 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted
Contests
33
in the data
First seen
May 6, 2023
latest Sep 25, 2026 · 3.4 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
1 reserve
Category wins
4
16 podiums
Overall top-10s
10
30% of 33 contests
Best top-10 run
4
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 44%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
2 🔥
Current form
687.11 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 679.28 (+7.82)
Walk rate
79%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±11.19
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 172.39 · weakest Brisket (166.87)
Road miles
2,910
across 33 mapped stops · furthest 296 mi
Schedule strength
55%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1570)
Purse competed for
$184K
listed at 31 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 25 state-championship entries
Master avg
679.28 / 720
25 Master contests · 0 GCs
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 | #185 (1,024 pts) | #110 (1,411 pts) | #185 (1,122 pts) | #160 (1,079 pts) | #199 (974 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #183 (1,179 pts) | #106 (1,524 pts) | #110 (1,601 pts) | #191 (1,134 pts) | #184 (1,154 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #310 (716 pts) | #273 (851 pts) | #278 (886 pts) | #273 (816 pts) | #356 (636 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #1255 (60 pts) | #1319 (60 pts) | #1339 (85 pts) | #653 (260 pts) | #1296 (60 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to New Pigs on the Block, each with one reason worth a look.
36 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,335 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 60%
- Peak
- 1577
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to New Pigs on the Block)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team New Pigs on the Block has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,316 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 27%
- Peak
- 1578
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 25 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,330 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 36%
- Peak
- 1583
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before New Pigs on the Block's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,320 of the rated field
- Contests
- 24
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1587
Careers of much the same size, 24 contests to 33, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#1,332 of the rated field
- Contests
- 28
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 21%
- Peak
- 1591
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 28 contests, alongside a 21% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#1,326 of the rated field
- Contests
- 28
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 43%
- Peak
- 1636
They were already cooking in 2013, 10 years before New Pigs on the Block's first contest.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 25 | 3 | 22 | 12% | ⚔ compare |
| ELJEFE SMOKE | 23 | 6 | 17 | 26% | ⚔ compare |
| PADDY MCQ'S | 23 | 3 | 20 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | 23 | 1 | 22 | 4% | ⚔ compare |
| Let It Smoke Barbecue | 20 | 17 | 3 | 85% | ⚔ compare |
| STICKS & STONES BBQ | 19 | 5 | 14 | 26% | ⚔ compare |
| Mullen It Over BBQ | 18 | 16 | 2 | 89% | ⚔ compare |
| Titans of BBQ | 17 | 12 | 5 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| Q42 | 13 | 12 | 1 | 92% | ⚔ compare |
| HUMPHREY'S BBQ | 13 | 8 | 5 | 62% | ⚔ compare |
| Q Shanty | 13 | 8 | 5 | 62% | ⚔ compare |
| Meat Monarchy | 13 | 7 | 6 | 54% | ⚔ compare |
| Grandpa Val's BBQ | 13 | 3 | 10 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
| Rough Cut Q | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Grumpy Old Patriot Barbeque | 11 | 7 | 4 | 64% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 28 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 180 🔥 | 159.3828 | 172.39 | top 37% |
| Pork Ribs | 31 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 177.7144 | 164.5372 | 170.40 | top 42% |
| Pork | 26 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 179.4400 | 156.5256 | 169.55 | top 48% |
| Brisket | 26 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 176.5600 | 147.3828 | 166.87 | top 51% |
“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) | 2 | 0 | top 46% |
| Medium (20–39) | 18 | 0 | top 40% |
| Large (40+) | 6 | 0 | top 56% |
Repeat visits (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 | 9 | 0 | top 45% | Apr 18, 2026 |
| Massachusetts in May (Day 2) | 4 | 2 | 0 | top 31% | May 17, 2025 |
| Kora Kares for Kids | 3 | 10 | 0 | top 36% | Aug 15, 2026 |
| Connecticut Barbecue Challenge | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 26% | Jul 18, 2026 |
| Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) | 2 | 22 | 0 | top 71% | Oct 25, 2025 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2026
14 contests
Contests a season
8.3
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
NJ
8 of 33 contests · 8 states in all
Contests visited
14
5 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
31 entries · 0 wins · 13 calls
Opponents faced
292
finished ahead 507 times, behind 481
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20263 milestones
- 25th tracked contest Mass in May (ONE MEAT CHICKEN)
- Peak power rating (1578) First State BBQ Bash
- Most recent contest First State BBQ Bash
20256 milestones
- 10th tracked contest New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2)
- First overall podium Massachusetts in May (Day 2)
- First Reserve Championship Massachusetts in May (Day 2)
- Career-best overall score706.8804 Massachusetts in May (Day 2)
- First multi-meat day Connecticut Barbecue Challenge
- First perfect 180 (Chicken) Connecticut Barbecue Challenge
20242 milestones
- First category win (Pork) New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2)
- First overall top-10 New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2)
20233 milestones
- First tracked contest HOGS 4 HEROES
- First call HOGS 4 HEROES
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score649.6112 HOGS 4 HEROES
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.7 | Massachusetts in May (Day 2) | May 17, 2025 |
| +12.6 | First State BBQ Bash | Sep 25, 2026 |
| +10.9 | Kora Kares for Kids | Aug 15, 2026 |
| +10.7 | Connecticut Barbecue Challenge | Jul 12, 2025 |
| +10.2 | Mass in May (Day 2) | May 16, 2026 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -8.1 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) | Oct 25, 2025 |
| -8 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) | Oct 24, 2025 |
| -4.8 | Grand American Barbecue New York State Championship (Open) | Aug 2, 2025 |
| -3.8 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) | May 2, 2025 |
| -3.2 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) | Apr 19, 2024 |
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 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 79% | top 39% | 96.3% | 94.9% |
| 2025 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 82% | top 48% | 98.2% | 94.5% |
| 2024 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 71% | top 42% | 94.7% | 94% |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 56% | 90.2% | 90.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25, 2026 | First State BBQ Bash 🏅 Milford, DE | 5 / 39 (693.0628) | 4 (178.8572) | 9 (174.2744) | 19 (169.6684) | 16 (170.2628) |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Kora Kares for Kids 🏅 Hiram, ME | 10 / 51 (693.6228) | 15 (175.4172) | 22 (170.8228) | 15 (173.1200) | 10 (174.2628) |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Kora Kares for Kids (ONE MEAT RIBS) Hiram, ME | — | — | 32 (166.2516) | — | — |
| Jul 18, 2026 | Connecticut Barbecue Challenge 🏅 Somers, CT | 13 / 36 (683.2796) | 1 (180) | 27 (165.0972) | 25 (168.5140) | 16 (169.6684) |
| Jun 13, 2026 | Bristol BBQ Bash - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Bristol, CT | 14 / 26 (674.1716) | 16 (168.5372) | 14 (168.5372) | 4 (174.8572) | 21 (162.2400) |
| Jun 13, 2026 | Bristol BBQ Bash - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Bristol, CT | — | 8 (172) | — | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2026 | Bristol BBQ Bash - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT RIBS) Bristol, CT | — | — | 13 (168.0116) | — | — |
| May 16, 2026 | Mass in May (Day 2) 🏅 Wrentham, MA | 7 / 31 (691.3944) | 8 (174.2628) | 21 (164.5600) | 2 (177.7144) | 4 (174.8572) |
| May 16, 2026 | Mass in May (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Wrentham, MA | — | 9 (172) | — | — | — |
| May 16, 2026 | Mass in May (ONE MEAT RIBS) Wrentham, MA | — | — | 8 (170.8456) | — | — |
| May 2, 2026 | Grand American Barbecue New York State Championship Open (OPEN FORMAT) 🏅 New Paltz, NY | 36 / 59 (675.3484) | 16 (173.7028) | 47 (166.2628) | 26 (171.4172) | 42 (163.9656) |
| May 1, 2026 | Grand American Barbecue World Championship Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated New Paltz, NY | 31 / 43 (682.1484) | 2 (177.7144) | 14 (173.1200) | 36 (167.3828) | 38 (163.9312) |
| Apr 18, 2026 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 11 / 26 (681.6228) | 22 (163.3828) | 3 (177.1544) | 20 (166.8228) | 5 (174.2628) |
| Apr 17, 2026 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 9 / 26 (677.0400) | 12 (168.5256) | 10 (169.1316) | 3 (173.1544) | 12 (166.2284) |
| Oct 25, 2025 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) 🏅 Jackson, NJ | 23 / 32 (672.4112) | 9 (173.7028) | 23 (167.3828) | 27 (166.2400) | 24 (165.0856) |
| Oct 24, 2025 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) 🏅 Jackson, NJ | 22 / 31 (664.4112) | 16 (170.8228) | 9 (171.4172) | 29 (160.5256) | 23 (161.6456) |
| Aug 16, 2025 | Kora Kares for Kids 🏅 Hiram, ME | 20 / 40 (669.0628) | 25 (167.9656) | 4 (174.8572) | 35 (156.5256) | 13 (169.7144) |
| Aug 16, 2025 | Kora Kares for Kids (ONE MEAT RIBS) Hiram, ME | — | — | 4 (174.2744) | — | — |
| Aug 2, 2025 | Grand American Barbecue New York State Championship (Open) 🏅 Port Jervis, NY | 36 / 47 (674.1600) | 32 (171.4056) | 16 (174.2744) | 44 (162.2516) | 36 (166.2284) |
| Jul 12, 2025 | Connecticut Barbecue Challenge 🏅 Somers, CT | 5 / 30 (692.5372) | 1 (180) | 3 (175.4056) | 28 (160.5716) | 1 (176.5600) |
| Jun 21, 2025 | Frog Alley Brew-B-Que Cookoff 🏅 Schenectady, NY | 8 / 18 (689.7032) | 3 (177.7144) | 14 (168.5488) | 3 (177.1772) | 10 (166.2628) |
| May 17, 2025 | Massachusetts in May (Day 2) 🏅 Wrentham, MA | 2 / 29 (706.8804) | 2 (178.2972) | 2 (177.7144) | 6 (176.5944) | 6 (174.2744) |
| May 16, 2025 | Massachusetts in May (Day 1) 🏅 Wrentham, MA | 10 / 27 (678.8340) | 4 (174.2972) | 6 (174.8456) | 20 (161.7256) | 11 (167.9656) |
| May 3, 2025 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 15 / 34 (681.6460) | 14 (171.4056) | 13 (170.2860) | 2 (177.1544) | 23 (162.8000) |
| May 2, 2025 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 19 / 33 (672.4804) | 18 (169.1316) | 24 (164.5372) | 12 (171.4056) | 19 (167.4060) |
| Aug 17, 2024 | Kora Kares for Kids 🏅 Hiram, ME | 15 / 39 (673.0512) | 25 (167.4056) | 20 (167.4172) | 14 (169.7028) | 12 (168.5256) |
| Aug 17, 2024 | Kora Kares for Kids (ONE MEAT RIBS) Hiram, ME | — | — | 17 (168.5716) | — | — |
| Jul 27, 2024 | Operation Up in Smoke 🏅 Epping, NH | 9 / 19 (680.5712) | 18 (162.2628) | 4 (172) | 6 (174.8800) | 5 (171.4284) |
| May 18, 2024 | Massachusetts in May (Day 2) 🏅 Wrentham, MA | 13 / 31 (680.5372) | 4 (178.2972) | 24 (165.1200) | 13 (170.8456) | 21 (166.2744) |
| May 17, 2024 | Massachusetts in May (Day 1) 🏅 Wrentham, MA | 11 / 30 (672.4800) | 3 (174.8572) | 4 (174.2628) | 26 (157.0972) | 10 (166.2628) |
| Apr 20, 2024 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 9 / 27 (681.6460) | 7 (174.2628) | 13 (169.1316) | 1 (179.4400) | 24 (158.8116) |
| Apr 19, 2024 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 16 / 29 (672.4684) | 12 (171.4056) | 10 (171.4284) | 17 (167.3944) | 20 (162.2400) |
| May 6, 2023 | HOGS 4 HEROES 🏅 Jamestown, RI | 28 / 50 (649.6112) | 38 (159.3828) | 20 (166.8456) | 2 (176) | 43 (147.3828) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.