Jason Belmonte wants to be the GOAT but has to get past Tackett to do that
By Roy J. Akers- www.skyviewsports.net
PBA Tour: Top Ten Players after the PBA World Championship
With the PBA Tour at the 2025 midpoint, the Top Ten players is easier to pinpoint among the Top 3 and a little more guesswork to flesh out the Top 10. EJ Tackett is on his way to his 4th Player of the Year Award but that is why they compete each week and quite a few bowlers could give him competition for the award. Here is the Top Ten after the World Championship Finals.
10. Kyle Troup
Troup’s 2025 season is one made up of close but no telecast seasons thus far. He is 9th in PBA points after the World Championships, and has cashed in eight of 11 events this season. Troup finished 7th at the PBA World Championships.
9. Ryan Barnes
A shooting star on the PBA Tour, he has come far with his father, PBA HOF bowler Chris Barnes watching on. He has cashed seven times in ten tournaments and has made three stepladder finals. He top finish is 5th at the Pete Weber Classic in St. Louis last month. Barnes is a player on the rise. He has earned $34,900 this season and is averaging nearly 222.6 thus far.
8. David “Boog” Krol
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Krol is having a monster 2025 season and once again, makes a televised stepladder finals against BJ Moore. Krol has cashed in 7 of 11 tournaments, averaging over 221.5 on the season. He is only 19th in PBA points, but he is a threat to win at nearly every tournament he enters.
7. Jakob Butturff
Butturff is the funky throwing two-handed bowler who made a couple of TV finals early in the season but has fallen off as of late. JB is still looking for his first 2025 title and appears on this list because he has made nearly $38,000 this season. JB finished 23rd at the PBA World Championships
6. Tim Foy Jr.
Foy Jr. is another player on the rise. Making the WSOB stepladder finals, he has appeared on TV four times this season. His top cash was for $13,000 at the Pete Weber Classic last month. Foy finished third at the PBA World Championships
5. Chris Via
Via appears on this list cashing seven times in ten tournaments and appearing in three stepladder finals. Via, is averaging nearly 225.6 on the season. His top money performance was at the US Open presented by Go Bowling. He has made over $73K thus far. He finished 8th at the PBA WC.
4. Graham Fach
After Fach won the PBA Delaware Tournament to open the season, Fach has consistently cashed for nice checks and is always in the mix. Fach has cooled off, but my guess is that it will not last much longer.
3. Jason Belmonte
Many modern PBA history consider him in the conversation as the greatest bowler ever. It may be true he is the best two-hander ever, but he has not been his dominant self over the last 4-5 PBA seasons. He is the top-ranked bowler in the 2025 WSOB step ladder finals and has won a PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship with Bill O’Neill earlier this season. Jason Belmonte, who owns a PBA-record nine career WSOB titles, earned the top seed for the PBA World Championship finals. Belmo is averaging over 229 per game this season. Belmo has not won a singles event in over two years.
“For so long — I don’t know how to say this without sounding a bit funny — that was probably my spot,” Belmonte said. “In the last couple of years, EJ has definitely taken that spot. That’s the part where I think I’ve gotten my head around it. Before it was like, ‘Am I still number one? Can I still be number one? I think I’m still number one?’ Then the realization that I’m not — but I can get it back.”
2. Andrew Anderson
The Holly, Mich. native is the bowler giving EJ Tackett the most competition for POY. Anderson. Anderson won the Mike Aulby Nevada Classic and finished second in the US Open. He is one of two players to top 100k in earnings in 2025 and is averaging 227.94 this year.
1. EJ Tackett
Tackett has already won 3 PBA POY Awards and has won three titles this season including the Shark Championship this past week. EJ has earned $307,250 this season with 100k finding his bank account after winning the US Open and his third consecutive PBA World Championship. Tackett is averaging a mindboggling 231.88 in 2025. Tackett saves his best bowling for the majors and has won twice this season. The battle between EJ and Belmonte after Belmo declared he wants five more majors before retiring. Belmo will have to get past the Indiana native.
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Roy J. Akers covers the PBA for www.skyviewsports.net
