By the Numbers
No. 5: Walter Ray Williams Jr. — 221 points
11 standard titles, 6 major titles, 59 standard top-five finishes, 16 major top-five finishes, 2 Player of the Year awards
Some may be wondering how Williams, the winningest player in PBA history, is ranked as low as fifth. Others may be wondering how a guy who turned 40 years old before the turn of the century could rank as high as fifth.
That sums up Walter Ray, a man whose brilliance defies conventional wisdom.
No. 4: Chris Barnes — 226.5 points
14 standard titles, 3 major titles, 81 standard top-five finishes, 19 major top-five finishes, 1 Player of the Year award
Barnes’ versatility made him a consistent title threat for two full decades. He ranked first in standard top-five finishes (81) and runner-up finishes (30), second in top-five finishes (100) and third in top-two finishes (47).
Had Barnes converted a few more top-five finishes into titles, the Triple Crown winner could have been the definitive third-best player of the past 25 seasons.
No. 3: Norm Duke — 236.5 points
18 standard titles, 5 major titles, 50 standard top-five finishes, 22 major top-five finishes, 1 Player of the Year award
The third- through seventh-ranked players were separated by just 30.5 points. Any one of them could have ranked third if the pins, just once or twice more, fell in their favor. But at this level, results are the only way to separate the greats.
That’s why Duke, by virtue of his 23 total titles, ranked third. Duke won five majors, including a record three in a row, and only Tackett had more standard titles than Duke’s 18.
No. 2: EJ Tackett — 327.5 points
20 standard titles, 7 major titles, 69 standard top-five finishes, 23 major top-five finishes, 4 Player of the Year awards
Tackett occupies a world unto himself in these rankings. The gap between himself and the No. 3 ranked player is 91 points — greater than No. 19 Jason Couch’s total.
The Indiana native didn’t join the tour until the 2012-13 season, halfway through the sample size of these rankings, and still led all players with 20 standard titles. He ranked second in major titles, major top-five finishes and Player of the Year awards.
Tackett’s last three seasons alone, in which he earned six standard titles, five major titles, 21 standard top-five finishes, 10 major top-five finishes and three Player of the Year awards, would have placed him 11th in these rankings.
No. 1: Jason Belmonte — 450.5 points
17 standard titles, 15 major titles, 72 standard top-five finishes, 38 major top-five finishes, 7 Player of the Year awards
With all due respect to the greats who competed on the PBA Tour over the last 25 seasons, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out the best player of the 21st century thus far.
Belmonte’s 15 major victories are more than double any other player of this era, and five more than any player won in their entire career. In majors, only seven players finished top five as many times as Belmonte won the title.
If you removed all of those major titles from his point total, Belmonte would still rank No. 1.
Belmonte’s seven Player of the Year honors are three more than any other player of this era and tied for the most in a career. He won the award five times in a seven-season stretch during the 2010s, more than all but two players’ entire career.
If you removed all those awards from his point total, Belmonte would still rank No. 1.
