ASTRO PIGS BBQ

ASTRO PIGS BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 30 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2019. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Saltwater Brew 'N' Que (2016), and finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #2533 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#2,533

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1519

peak 1563 · rated over 30 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Sep 6, 2013

latest Jun 7, 2019 · 5.7 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#412

Master 2016 · every season

Grand champs

1 reserve · wins it all 3% of the time

Category wins

6 podiums

Overall top-10s

20% of 30 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 53%

overall standings

Best overall

679.3944 / 720

Master · Saltwater Brew 'N' Que

Perfect 180s

Current form

627.26 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 637.83 (-10.57)

Walk rate

37%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.7028

Pork Ribs · Naptown barBAYq Contest and Music Festival

Consistency

±24.71

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 160.30 · weakest Brisket (158.58)

Road miles

2,307

across 30 mapped stops · furthest 114 mi

Schedule strength

45%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1558)

Purse competed for

$24K

listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 3 state-championship entries

Master avg

637.83 / 720

30 Master contests · 1 GC

Storylines (8 found in their record)

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

Against the odds

17-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 83 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Saltwater Brew 'N' Que (May 20, 2016) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 17-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, LO' -N- SLO' BBQ.

High-water mark

679.3944 career-best overall

94.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 679.3944 at Saltwater Brew 'N' Que — 94.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
May 20, 2016

Their season

2016 1 Grand Championship

2016 was the year it came together: 6 contests, 1 Grand Championship and 2 category wins, at an average finish in the top 33%.

6 contests
4 overall top-10s
2 category wins
average top 33%

A tough matchup

23–2 behind in the head-to-head

3 EYZ BBQ ahead in 92% of their meetings

3 EYZ BBQ has come out ahead in 23 of their 25 shared contests.

The drought

16 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Saltwater Brew 'N' Que on May 20, 2016 — 16 contests and 10.4 years ago.

last GC May 20, 2016
10.4 years ago

A strong matchup

6–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 75% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of HOG STREET BULLIES in 6 of their 8 shared contests.

Pork Ribs nemesis

18 of 25 shared pork ribs entries lost

3 EYZ BBQ ahead 72% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, 3 EYZ BBQ has out-cooked them in 18 of 25 shared pork ribs entries.

Show 1 more storyline

An October team

Top 37% average finish in October

Something about October: average finish in the top 37% across 3 contests, versus top 53% the rest of the year.

3 October contests
top 53% the rest of the year

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
2019 ↗	Master	#1226 (180 pts)	#1182 (215 pts)	#1126 (240 pts)	#1247 (195 pts)	#1219 (200 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#943 (305 pts)	#1073 (270 pts)	#1101 (265 pts)	#1049 (285 pts)	#865 (385 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#778 (485 pts)	#1003 (375 pts)	#663 (615 pts)	#917 (415 pts)	#864 (445 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#412 (955 pts)	#672 (605 pts)	#371 (1,020 pts)	#439 (935 pts)	#603 (665 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1372 (180 pts)	#1366 (210 pts)	#1128 (285 pts)	#1472 (190 pts)	#1431 (180 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#645 (574 pts)	#737 (510 pts)	#760 (485 pts)	#1144 (285 pts)	#833 (415 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1318 (187 pts)	#1111 (272 pts)	#1139 (262 pts)	#1081 (282 pts)	#1345 (192 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to ASTRO PIGS BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

SMOKIN' STUFF BBQ

#2,528 of the rated field

1519 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1534

0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to ASTRO PIGS BBQ)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team ASTRO PIGS BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 21 contests
last seen May 13, 2022

⚔ Head-to-head

Gustoso BBQ

#2,546 of the rated field

1518 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1518

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 24 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 24 contests
last seen Jun 12, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

SLOWLY BUTT SMOKIN

#2,548 of the rated field

1518 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1559

Careers of much the same size, 21 contests to 30, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 21 contests
last seen Oct 11, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

BIG MO FROM AHO

#2,549 of the rated field

1518 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1521

20 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 20 contests
last seen Mar 23, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

SAUCE BOSSES

#2,545 of the rated field

1518 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 21%
Peak: 1525

They turned up 5 years after ASTRO PIGS BBQ did, first appearing in 2018.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Jun 26, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Bucknutz BBQ

#2,530 of the rated field

1519 power rating

Contests: 48
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1519

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

rated over 48 contests
last seen Sep 25, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
3 EYZ BBQ	25	2	23	8%	⚔ compare
ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ	20	4	16	20%	⚔ compare
DRILLING & GRILLING	20	4	16	20%	⚔ compare
SAUCE THIS BBQ	20	4	16	20%	⚔ compare
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit	18	4	14	22%	⚔ compare
CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ	18	4	14	22%	⚔ compare
Smokestack Redemption	15	3	12	20%	⚔ compare
LIFE IS GOOD BUT BBQ IS BETTER	15	2	13	13%	⚔ compare
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE	15	1	14	7%	⚔ compare
PAVONE BROTHERS BBQ	15	1	14	7%	⚔ compare
BIG UGLY'S BBQ - MD	14	3	11	21%	⚔ compare
4:20 Q	14	2	12	14%	⚔ compare
LO' -N- SLO' BBQ	14	1	13	7%	⚔ compare
Team Meat Coma	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare
PIGHEADED BBQ	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	30	3	1	1	173.7028	134.1712	158.88	top 60%
Pork Ribs	30	6	2	3	177.7028	133.6228	160.30	top 45%
Pork	30	6	0	2	173.7028	144.5028	160.06	top 52%
Brisket	30	5	0	0	170.2744	140.4916	158.58	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 field size and state

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	10	1	top 50%
Large (40+)	20	0	top 54%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
MD	14	0	top 53%
DE	7	0	top 59%
PA	6	0	top 57%
VA	2	1	top 23%
WV	1	0	top 41%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Interstate BBQ Festival	2	41	top 84%	Apr 19, 2019
Boo-B-Que	2	14	top 30%	Oct 19, 2018
Smoke in the Park	2	23	top 76%	Sep 28, 2018
Naptown barBAYq Cooking Contest	2	17	top 61%	May 5, 2018
The Great Brunswick BBQ Throwdown	2	7	top 47%	Mar 2, 2018
Naptown barBAYq Contest and Music Festival	2	2	top 30%	May 6, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2017 6 contests

Contests a season 4.3 across 7 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MD 14 of 30 contests · 5 states in all

Contests visited 24 6 of them more than once

First title May 20, 2016 Saltwater Brew 'N' Que

Opponents faced 576 finished ahead 670 times, behind 862

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

20191 milestone

Jun 7 Most recent contest Separation Colonial BBQ Competition

20181 milestone

May 5 25th tracked contest Naptown barBAYq Cooking Contest

20171 milestone

Jul 28 Peak power rating (1563) Smoke in the Grove (JUDGES FULL)

20165 milestones

May 6 First overall podium Naptown barBAYq Contest and Music Festival
May 6 First Reserve Championship Naptown barBAYq Contest and Music Festival
May 6 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)177.7028 Naptown barBAYq Contest and Music Festival
May 20 First Grand Championship Saltwater Brew 'N' Que
May 20 Career-best overall score679.3944 Saltwater Brew 'N' Que

20151 milestone

May 1 10th tracked contest Naptown barBAYq Contest and Music Festival

20143 milestones

May 9 First category win (Chicken) Pork In The Park BBQ Festival
May 9 First overall top-10 Pork In The Park BBQ Festival
Sep 5 First overall past 90% of a perfect score650.1140 6th Annual Southern York County BBQ Cook-off

20132 milestones

Sep 6 First tracked contest Pickin' in the Panhandle
Sep 6 First call Pickin' in the Panhandle

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+17.6	Naptown barBAYq Contest and Music Festival	May 6, 2016
+17	Saltwater Brew 'N' Que	May 20, 2016
+14.7	Pork In The Park BBQ Festival	May 9, 2014
+13.8	The Great Brunswick BBQ Throwdown	Mar 3, 2017
+11.7	Boo-B-Que	Oct 19, 2018

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-14.9	Interstate BBQ Festival	Apr 19, 2019
-11.1	Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival	Apr 10, 2015
-10.8	Separation Colonial BBQ Competition	Jun 7, 2019
-10.7	Delaware's Triple Threat BBQ Festival at the Fair	Apr 11, 2014
-7.8	Twin Valley Fire and Smoke	May 17, 2019

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)
2019	3	0	0	0	0%	top 85%	87.8%	84.9%
2018	4	0	0	0	0%	top 62%	93.3%	88.9%
2017	6	0	1	0	33%	top 47%	93.6%	90.4%
2016	6	1	4	2	83%	top 33%	94.4%	91.2%
2015	3	0	0	0	0%	top 69%	89.3%	86.5%
2014	6	0	1	1	33%	top 50%	90.3%	87.1%
2013	2	0	0	0	100%	top 47%	89.6%	88%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jun 7, 2019	Separation Colonial BBQ Competition 🏅 New Castle, DE	31 / 36 (619.8520)	32 (154.8116)	13 (165.1200)	22 (159.4288)	36 (140.4916)
May 17, 2019	Twin Valley Fire and Smoke 🏅 Morgantown, PA	31 / 44 (631.8284)	18 (165.1772)	35 (153.0972)	36 (150.7656)	21 (162.7884)
Apr 19, 2019	Interstate BBQ Festival 🏅 Hagerstown, MD	53 / 54 (582.5940)	53 (140.4684)	52 (134.7772)	53 (144.5028)	35 (162.8456)
Oct 19, 2018	Boo-B-Que Rehoboth Beach, DE	14 / 73 (671.9660)	21 (167.9884)	21 (166.8460)	21 (166.8572)	14 (170.2744)
Sep 28, 2018	Smoke in the Park Lemoyne, PA	23 / 31 (630.0572)	23 (159.3944)	31 (145.0516)	25 (156.4912)	12 (169.1200)
May 5, 2018	Naptown barBAYq Cooking Contest Crownsville, MD	28 / 37 (638.2516)	31 (157.1428)	22 (159.4288)	21 (161.1544)	25 (160.5256)
Mar 2, 2018	The Great Brunswick BBQ Throwdown Brunswick, MD	23 / 29 (621.0172)	23 (158.2628)	28 (141.1316)	22 (158.8228)	18 (162.8000)
Oct 20, 2017	Boo-B-Que Rehobeth Beach, DE	28 / 69 (654.7888)	54 (159.9772)	41 (160.5716)	21 (166.2628)	17 (167.9772)
Sep 22, 2017	Smoke in the Park Lemoyne, PA	34 / 44 (626.6860)	30 (161.0972)	41 (150.8116)	23 (159.9772)	35 (154.8000)
Jul 28, 2017	Smoke in the Grove (JUDGES FULL) Spring Grove, PA	17 / 51 (657.0976)	40 (155.9888)	17 (165.1544)	12 (167.4288)	8 (168.5256)
May 5, 2017	Naptown barBAYq Cooking Contest Crownsville, MD	17 / 37 (651.8740)	20 (162.8228)	14 (166.8228)	24 (157.0856)	16 (165.1428)
Apr 14, 2017	Interstate BBQ Festival Hagerstown, MD	41 / 58 (638.7200)	52 (155.3944)	21 (167.4172)	40 (160.5256)	44 (155.3828)
Mar 3, 2017	The Great Brunswick BBQ Throwdown Brunswick, MD	7 / 50 (674.2172)	15 (169.1200)	2 (175.4400)	18 (169.1200)	24 (160.5372)
Sep 23, 2016	Brew, Barbecue & Oysters Too! Cape Charles, VA	9 / 22 (646.2056)	11 (159.3712)	11 (157.7144)	8 (166.8800)	8 (162.2400)
Aug 12, 2016	Maryland State BBQ Bash Bel Air, MD	24 / 42 (656.9712)	32 (161.0856)	9 (170.8228)	16 (166.2628)	25 (158.8000)
Jun 10, 2016	The Historic New Castle Colonial BBQ Competition at Battery Park New Castle, DE	7 / 39 (661.0284)	15 (164)	16 (163.9772)	9 (167.9656)	14 (165.0856)
May 20, 2016	Saltwater Brew 'N' Que Chincoteague, VA	1 / 23 (679.3944)	4 (169.1200)	1 (176.0116)	3 (169.7372)	8 (164.5256)
May 6, 2016	Naptown barBAYq Contest and Music Festival Annapolis, MD	2 / 51 (678.7540)	28 (159.3828)	1 (177.7028)	2 (173.7028)	9 (167.9656)
Apr 8, 2016	Triple Threat BBQ, Beer and Music Festval Harrington, DE	55 / 75 (616.3776)	61 (150.2176)	18 (167.4172)	65 (148.5028)	53 (150.2400)
Aug 14, 2015	14th Annual Maryland State BBQ Bash Bel Air, MD	28 / 46 (642.8112)	19 (165.7372)	18 (165.1428)	23 (162.2628)	34 (149.6684)
May 1, 2015	Naptown barBAYq Contest and Music Festival Annapolis, MD	36 / 64 (634.6168)	55 (151.9084)	11 (167.4056)	45 (155.9200)	35 (159.3828)
Apr 10, 2015	Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival Harrington, DE	88 / 99 (590.6052)	96 (134.1712)	63 (155.9656)	71 (153.7028)	78 (146.7656)
Sep 5, 2014	6th Annual Southern York County BBQ Cook-off York, PA	13 / 39 (650.1140)	23 (159.3484)	8 (166.8456)	10 (165.7028)	20 (158.2172)
Aug 8, 2014	MD State BBQ Bash, Presented by Mars Super Markets Bel Air, MD	29 / 54 (631.7828)	24 (161.6684)	15 (165.1200)	22 (158.8000)	41 (146.1944)
Jun 6, 2014	Beltway BBQ Showdown Ft. Washington, MD	22 / 42 (634.1484)	26 (158.8112)	11 (163.4288)	27 (156.5140)	22 (155.3944)
May 9, 2014	Pork In The Park BBQ Festival Salisbury, MD	4 / 43 (647.3256)	1 (173.7028)	12 (157.1200)	28 (151.9656)	6 (164.5372)
May 2, 2014	Naptown barBAYq Contest & Music Festival Annapolis, MD	38 / 59 (614.7428)	57 (143.3828)	12 (165.1428)	47 (151.3716)	27 (154.8456)
Apr 11, 2014	Delaware's Triple Threat BBQ Festival at the Fair Harrington, DE	95 / 109 (584.3996)	52 (157.0628)	102 (137.1312)	92 (145.1200)	84 (145.0856)
Oct 4, 2013	Keystone Classic Barbeque Harrisburg, PA	29 / 55 (621.5768)	8 (167.4284)	53 (133.6228)	19 (159.4056)	14 (161.1200)
Sep 6, 2013	Pickin' in the Panhandle Inwood, WV	15 / 37 (645.0056)	17 (162.2628)	5 (166.8456)	6 (169.7028)	35 (146.1944)

ASTRO PIGS 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

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (8 found in their record)

Against the odds

High-water mark

Their season

A tough matchup

The drought

A strong matchup

Pork Ribs nemesis

An October team

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)