BIG BLOCK BBQ

BIG BLOCK BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 34 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2016. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the 4th Annual High Point BBQ Battle (2014). They are ranked #963 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#963

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1609

peak 1640 · rated over 32 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 3, 2013

latest Sep 3, 2016 · 3.3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#160

Master 2014 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve · wins it all 3% of the time

Category wins

11 podiums

Overall top-10s

29% of 34 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 39%

overall standings

Best overall

691.4400 / 720

Master · Almost Heaven BBQ Bash

Perfect 180s

Current form

558.17 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 635.97 (-77.80)

Walk rate

68%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8800

Brisket · 4th Annual High Point BBQ Battle

Consistency

±87.12

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 164.88 · weakest Brisket (160.26)

Road miles

7,507

across 34 mapped stops · furthest 2,401 mi

Schedule strength

35%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1547)

Purse competed for

$3,000

listed at 1 contest — purses, not winnings

Master avg

635.97 / 720

33 Master contests · 1 GC

Storylines (15 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

Against the odds

30-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 70 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at 4th Annual High Point BBQ Battle (Oct 10, 2014) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 30-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, 4:20 Q.

They almost always walk

68% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 23 of 34 contests

A top-10 category call in 68% of their 34 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

691.4400 career-best overall

96.0% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 691.4400 at Almost Heaven BBQ Bash — 96.0% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jun 19, 2015

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

JUST SMOKIN' AROUND has finished one call ahead of BIG BLOCK BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

26–2 behind in the head-to-head

3 EYZ BBQ ahead in 93% of their meetings

3 EYZ BBQ has come out ahead in 26 of their 28 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.6 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.61 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 21% of the time against 34%.

Brisket avg 160.26
Chicken avg 164.88
7 calls in 33 entries

The drought

16 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at 4th Annual High Point BBQ Battle on Oct 10, 2014 — 16 contests and 12 years ago.

last GC Oct 10, 2014
12 years ago

Show 8 more storylines

A strong matchup

9–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SIR-PORK'S-ALOT BBQ in 9 of their 9 shared contests.

The comeback

10 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 10 years, then back at Woodland Ribs & Rods Rib Cook Off & Car Show (ONE MEAT RIBS) (Sep 12, 2026).

last seen Sep 3, 2016
back Sep 12, 2026

Chicken nemesis

23 of 28 shared chicken entries lost

3 EYZ BBQ ahead 82% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, 3 EYZ BBQ has out-cooked them in 23 of 28 shared chicken entries.

Going the wrong way

-31 rating points in a year

The rating has slipped 31 points across 4 contests since Sep 25, 2015 — from 1640 down to 1609.

4 contests since Sep 25, 2015
now 1609

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

HIGH ON THE HOG MARYLAND has landed one call behind them 2 times.

Boom or bust

±12.10% swing around their own average

Their overall swings ±12.10% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.

averages 88.3% of a perfect score
best 96.0%

A June team

Top 20% average finish in June

Something about June: average finish in the top 20% across 4 contests, versus top 39% the rest of the year.

4 June contests
top 39% the rest of the year

The long haul

7,507 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 7,507 miles across 34 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 2,401 miles to Woodland Ribs & Rods Rib Cook Off & Car Show (ONE MEAT RIBS).

34 mapped stops
furthest 2,401 mi

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
2015 ↗	Master	#263 (1,268 pts)	#308 (1,153 pts)	#189 (1,478 pts)	#309 (1,083 pts)	#371 (998 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#160 (1,682 pts)	#92 (1,887 pts)	#147 (1,652 pts)	#307 (1,132 pts)	#211 (1,452 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#471 (654 pts)	#542 (599 pts)	#450 (724 pts)	#307 (969 pts)	#519 (614 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to BIG BLOCK BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

IRWIN'S PIT CREW BBQ

#964 of the rated field

1609 power rating

Contests: 60
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 15%
Peak: 1617

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to BIG BLOCK BBQ)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team BIG BLOCK BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 55 contests
last seen Sep 30, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

FRIENDS OF OBR

#956 of the rated field

1610 power rating

Contests: 41
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 32%
Peak: 1648

They've been 1648 at their best, 38 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 41 contests
last seen Aug 17, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

Smokin Gringos BBQ

#958 of the rated field

1610 power rating

Contests: 47
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 36%
Peak: 1630

Careers of much the same size, 47 contests to 34, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 42 contests
last seen Jul 11, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

Nice Racks

#961 of the rated field

1609 power rating

Contests: 46
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1630

Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 46 contests, alongside a 30% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 44 contests
last seen Jul 11, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Duck Dog Bar-B-Que

#962 of the rated field

1609 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 53%
Peak: 1612

Level with BIG BLOCK BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 17 contests
last seen Jul 29, 2016

⚔ Compare careers

WARDEN'S Q

#965 of the rated field

1609 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 60%
Peak: 1617

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 15 contests
last seen May 9, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
3 EYZ BBQ	28	2	26	7%	⚔ compare
CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ	21	7	14	33%	⚔ compare
PAVONE BROTHERS BBQ	20	12	8	60%	⚔ compare
APORKALYPSE NOW	20	5	15	25%	⚔ compare
ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ	19	10	9	53%	⚔ compare
CHIX, SWINE & BOVINE BBQ	19	2	17	11%	⚔ compare
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE	17	6	11	35%	⚔ compare
PORK BARREL BBQ	17	4	13	24%	⚔ compare
SAUCE THIS BBQ	15	3	12	20%	⚔ compare
4:20 Q	14	4	10	29%	⚔ compare
LIFE IS GOOD BUT BBQ IS BETTER	12	6	6	50%	⚔ compare
BLACK CAT BBQ	12	3	9	25%	⚔ compare
DRILLING & GRILLING	11	8	3	73%	⚔ compare
Team Meat Coma	11	7	4	64%	⚔ compare
BAR-B-QUE MAYHAM	11	7	4	64%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	32	11	2	5	177.7372	145.6688	164.88	top 40%
Pork Ribs	33	16	2	3	174.8456	145.7144	163.69	top 36%
Pork	32	6	0	1	173.1428	147.4056	162.15	top 42%
Brisket	33	7	1	2	178.8800	144.5714	160.26	top 46%

“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
Medium (20–39)	10	1	top 41%
Large (40+)	23	0	top 38%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
MD	17	1	top 38%
VA	5	0	top 25%
DE	3	0	top 37%
MO	2	0	top 58%
PA	2	0	top 22%
TX	1	0	top 100%
TN	1	0	top 74%
WV	1	0	top 10%
AR	1	0	top 68%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Beltway BBQ Showdown	3	9	top 48%	May 29, 2015
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2	6	top 34%	Aug 28, 2015
Southern Maryland Brew & BBQ	2	21	top 41%	Jul 31, 2015
Naptown barBAYq Contest & Music Festival	2	14	top 35%	May 2, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2015 13 contests

Contests a season 6.8 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MD 17 of 34 contests · 10 states in all

Contests visited 28 4 of them more than once

First title Oct 10, 2014 4th Annual High Point BBQ Battle

Opponents faced 1,220 finished ahead 1,294 times, behind 1,014

Longest layoff 10 yrs Sep 3, 2016 → Sep 12, 2026

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

20261 milestone

Sep 12 Most recent contest Woodland Ribs & Rods Rib Cook Off & Car Show (ONE MEAT RIBS)

20153 milestones

Jun 19 25th tracked contest Almost Heaven BBQ Bash
Jun 19 Career-best overall score691.4400 Almost Heaven BBQ Bash
Sep 25 Peak power rating (1640) Smoke in the Park

20145 milestones

May 30 10th tracked contest Pig and A Jig BBQ Festival
Jun 27 First category win (Chicken) Hogging Up BBQ Festival
Jun 27 First overall podium Hogging Up BBQ Festival
Oct 10 First Grand Championship 4th Annual High Point BBQ Battle
Oct 10 Career-best single call (Brisket)178.8800 4th Annual High Point BBQ Battle

20134 milestones

May 3 First tracked contest Naptown barBAYq Contest & Music Festival
Jul 26 First call Bluemont BBQ Bash & Blackberry Bonanza
Sep 20 First overall top-10 Hogs & Hops Dover
Sep 20 First overall past 90% of a perfect score663.3832 Hogs & Hops Dover

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.4	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)	Aug 29, 2014
+15.2	Hogging Up BBQ Festival	Jun 27, 2014
+14.2	4th Annual High Point BBQ Battle	Oct 10, 2014
+12.9	Hogs & Hops Dover	Sep 20, 2013
+12.5	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash	Jun 19, 2015

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-20.1	City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival	Sep 3, 2016
-11.3	Beltway BBQ Showdown	May 31, 2013
-7.4	Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY)	Oct 23, 2015
-4.1	Delaware's Triple Threat BBQ Festival at the Fair	Apr 11, 2014
-3.5	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open	Oct 3, 2015

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	1	0	0	0	0%	—	—	—
2016	1	0	0	0	0%	top 100%	21.8%	21.8%
2015	13	0	3	1	62%	top 36%	96%	91.5%
2014	12	1	6	4	92%	top 30%	94.5%	90.9%
2013	7	0	1	0	57%	top 52%	92.1%	87.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 12, 2026	Woodland Ribs & Rods Rib Cook Off & Car Show (ONE MEAT RIBS) Woodland, CA	—	—	13 (167.9772)	—	—
Sep 3, 2016	City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival Bedford, TX	58 / 58 (157.1084)	—	—	—	39 (157.1084)
Oct 23, 2015	Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN	69 / 93 (658.7084)	54 (167.4172)	77 (160.5256)	47 (166.8228)	60 (163.9428)
Oct 3, 2015	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO	300 / 606 (652.4684)	415 (159.4056)	270 (165.1200)	215 (166.8456)	322 (161.0972)
Oct 2, 2015	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO	124 / 187 (669.0508)	168 (161.1312)	82 (169.1200)	89 (169.1084)	89 (169.6912)
Sep 25, 2015	Smoke in the Park Lemoyne, PA	12 / 34 (653.5312)	11 (166.2628)	1 (171.9656)	18 (161.0972)	22 (154.2056)
Aug 28, 2015	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Laurel, MD	14 / 29 (640.4568)	9 (168)	9 (162.2856)	18 (155.9656)	18 (154.2056)
Aug 14, 2015	14th Annual Maryland State BBQ Bash Bel Air, MD	6 / 46 (682.2056)	7 (174.8456)	10 (172.5600)	12 (169.1200)	16 (165.6800)
Jul 31, 2015	Southern Maryland Brew & BBQ Leonardtown, MD	25 / 54 (646.7308)	28 (161.1772)	24 (160.5484)	15 (166.2168)	27 (158.7884)
Jun 19, 2015	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash Buckhannon, WV	4 / 41 (691.4400)	3 (177.7372)	5 (174.8456)	8 (172.5600)	22 (166.2972)
May 29, 2015	Beltway BBQ Showdown Ft. Washington, MD	14 / 39 (646.1368)	18 (160.5256)	15 (160.5484)	26 (152.5028)	4 (172.5600)
May 8, 2015	BBQ Jamboree Fredericksburg, VA	14 / 65 (654.1484)	25 (164.5600)	15 (165.1084)	30 (157.0972)	10 (167.3828)
May 1, 2015	Naptown barBAYq Contest and Music Festival Annapolis, MD	19 / 64 (653.5656)	16 (166.8344)	33 (157.6572)	13 (166.2284)	28 (162.8456)
Apr 10, 2015	Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival Harrington, DE	28 / 99 (646.2624)	28 (166.2856)	3 (173.7372)	48 (159.9312)	79 (146.3084)
Apr 3, 2015	The Ironman Shady Grove, PA	4 / 48 (673.1084)	16 (165.1200)	8 (168.5484)	4 (173.1428)	11 (166.2972)
Oct 17, 2014	Shenandoah Valley BBQ Fest Woodstock, VA	11 / 40 (659.3944)	2 (174.2972)	31 (153.1200)	11 (165.1316)	11 (166.8456)
Oct 10, 2014	4th Annual High Point BBQ Battle Clarksburg, MD	1 / 25 (678.8344)	11 (163.9772)	6 (165.7144)	3 (170.2628)	1 (178.8800)
Sep 26, 2014	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship Bentonville, AR	34 / 50 (680.4684)	8 (177.1428)	11 (174.2744)	49 (156.5028)	27 (172.5484)
Aug 29, 2014	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Richmond, VA	3 / 30 (670.7428)	15 (170.8228)	5 (170.8572)	12 (162.2400)	5 (166.8228)
Aug 22, 2014	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Laurel, MD	6 / 29 (654.7656)	10 (165.1316)	1 (172.5828)	12 (158.8228)	17 (158.2284)
Aug 8, 2014	MD State BBQ Bash, Presented by Mars Super Markets Bel Air, MD	9 / 54 (654.7540)	1 (176.0228)	34 (154.2056)	32 (155.4056)	3 (169.1200)
Aug 1, 2014	Southern Maryland Brew & BBQ Leonardtown, MD	21 / 59 (644.4452)	24 (162.2284)	10 (171.4056)	19 (161.7028)	41 (149.1084)
Jun 27, 2014	Hogging Up BBQ Festival Winchester, VA	3 / 46 (664.5488)	1 (176.5944)	8 (165.0972)	21 (158.8572)	8 (164)
Jun 6, 2014	Beltway BBQ Showdown Ft. Washington, MD	9 / 42 (657.6228)	3 (173.7028)	10 (163.9888)	16 (161.6684)	16 (158.2628)
May 30, 2014	Pig and A Jig BBQ Festival Snow Hill, MD	18 / 30 (627.8284)	14 (159.9772)	7 (167.4172)	25 (150.2056)	23 (150.2284)
May 2, 2014	Naptown barBAYq Contest & Music Festival Annapolis, MD	14 / 59 (657.5884)	10 (169.1084)	6 (167.9772)	28 (160.5600)	22 (159.9428)
Apr 11, 2014	Delaware's Triple Threat BBQ Festival at the Fair Harrington, DE	73 / 109 (605.6340)	48 (158.2512)	82 (145.7144)	86 (147.4056)	44 (154.2628)
Oct 11, 2013	3rd Annual High Point BBQ Clarksburg, MD	15 / 31 (635.8744)	25 (149.6572)	9 (165.6800)	6 (165.1772)	17 (155.3600)
Sep 20, 2013	Hogs & Hops Dover Dover, DE	7 / 45 (663.3832)	7 (169.1200)	13 (162.2860)	5 (168.5600)	10 (163.4172)
Aug 9, 2013	12th Annual Maryland State BBQ Bash Bel Air, MD	39 / 60 (609.4516)	50 (145.6688)	52 (147.3256)	5 (166.8228)	35 (149.6344)
Jul 26, 2013	Bluemont BBQ Bash & Blackberry Bonanza Bluemont, VA	20 / 33 (624.9024)	30 (151.3484)	9 (160.5600)	21 (158.2284)	21 (154.7656)
Jun 14, 2013	Central MD Swinetastic BBQ Festival Frederick, MD	27 / 63 (635.9998)	33 (159.4286)	21 (161.1430)	24 (161.1428)	37 (154.2854)
May 31, 2013	Beltway BBQ Showdown Ft. Washington, MD	22 / 25 (611.9998)	18 (156.5714)	22 (149.7142)	12 (161.1428)	21 (144.5714)
May 3, 2013	Naptown barBAYq Contest & Music Festival Annapolis, MD	25 / 55 (623.9998)	34 (157.7142)	31 (152)	14 (162.2856)	28 (152)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

BIG BLOCK BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

Master avg

Storylines (15 found in their record)

Against the odds

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The weak link

The drought

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

Going the wrong way

Looking over their shoulder

Boom or bust

A June team

The long haul

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

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

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

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)