PGstats is proud to present the latest Melee ranking, #MPGR2019 , in concert with Red Bull! The #MPGR2019 ranking season spans the end of 2018 (after Don’t Park on the Grass 2018) to Dec. 8, 2019 (Mang0’s Birthday Bash).

PGstats has asked 45 top players, community leaders, tournament organizers, and analysts to rate the quality of play for each qualifying player during the 2018 ranking season. They were prompted with the following statement:

“Based on quality and quantity of results in 2019, rate each player on a scale of 1 to 10. A tournament is held every weekend during the ranking period, and all players on the list are able to attend every event. Over the course of the season, who performs the best? You may give the benefit of the doubt to players who attended more events during the ranking period if you so choose.”

Each panelist gives each player a score from 1 to 10, and the ratings are compiled into one overall average after suppressing the effect of outliers. Finally, scores were rescaled to a 1-100 rating, which is displayed under each player’s graphic.

New this year: We’ve tried to interview every player in the Top 100! Players in the Top 50 will still have blurbs, but the focus on the first 50 will be their interviews.

#MPGR2019 No. 30: Shroomed © Evan Johnson (@EvanJPhoto)

Rating: 75.6 | #MPGR2018 Rank: 29

As if completely undeterred by a rocky start to the year at Genesis 6, DaJuan “Shroomed” Jefferson McDaniel quickly regained his footing and proceeded to prove to the world just why exactly he deserves to be in the top 30 this year. Beating players like Tai, Scythed, Billybopeep, and Lucky, Shroomed ended his losers run at Low Tier City 7 at 5th place, while at Smash'N'Splash 5, he tore ruthlessly through Lucky, Ginger, and ChuDat in losers bracket before finishing at 9th. At Mango’s Birthday Bash, his most recent tournament, Shroomed defeated Ryan Ford for an admirable 13th place finish. Expect this Sheik player to springboard into 2020 with an even greater passion and hunger for victory.

Written by: Bekah "Chime" Wong | Edited by: Darren "Krakhead" Lynch

MPGR: What was your proudest achievement of 2019?

Shroomed: Started seeing drastic improvements in my badminton play and killed it at work the 2nd half of 2019.

MPGR: How do you feel Melee changed in 2019?

Shroomed: Everyone gets cleaner every year. It's sick af

MPGR: Why do you main who you main?

Shroomed: I main Sheik cuz she's a f*ckin ninja

#MPGR2019 No. 29: KJH © Tiny Melee (@momssbm)

Rating: 77.6 | #MPGR2018 Rank: 25

As the Midwest’s premier fox, Kalindi "KJH" Henderson has no shortage of results in 2019. His loser’s bracket run at Full Bloom 5 is nothing short of legendary: after being upset in pools, KJH ran through Free Palestine, Michael, Ginger, Swedish Delight, and even iBDW on his way to a fourth place finish. His ninth at Smash’N’Splash 5, where he beat Westballz and King Momo while only losing to Plup and Mang0, was another excellent showing for the technical Fox main.

KJH has chosen to take a step back from competing in 2020, and we wish him all the best in his endeavours going forward.

Written by: Cagan "Cagan" Hawthorne | Edited by: Christopher "SomeonesPC" Matis

#MPGR2019 No. 28: Bananas © Joey Martinez (@pkjoeyy)

Rating: 77.6 | #MPGR2018 Rank: 19

After his meteoric rise at the end of 2018, Connor “Bananas” Lamb’s stock was high going into 2019. His 25th place finish at Genesis, though mediocre on paper, came with a big win over Mew2King. Bananas also placed a solid 17th at Smash’N’Splash, though he found himself finishing 33rd at the wobbling-prohibited Big House.

Bananas shined at smaller regionals throughout 2019. He won Pre-Genesix over Spark, No Fun Allowed 3 over Fiction, and The Nick Yingling Dave & Buster’s Melee Experience over Axe. He had a strong finish to the year, defeating Albert, Magi, and bobby big ballz to win The Good, The Bad, And The Melee. Though his Ice Climbers have been nerfed by a revival in wobbling bans, Bananas has solidly proven himself to be a top tier competitor once again.

Written by: Dylan "Dilly-Jo" Tate | Edited by: Alexander "Quality Steve" Lee

MPGR: What about the year do you feel satisfied with?

Bananas: Winning NFA3 and winning the Nick Yingling Dave and Buster’s Experience (which was also just an awesome trip shout-outs to AZ y’all rock 💙) over Axe are my personal Melee highlights from the year.

MPGR: How do you feel Melee changed in 2019?

Bananas: Well with Axe winning Summit and everything else he did this year, we’re rapidly approaching the best timeline where he’s the best in the world and I’m so excited about it.

MPGR: What's your favorite button on the GameCube controller, and why?

Bananas: Ayyyyyyyy lmao

#MPGR2019 No. 27: AbsentPage © Ayub Arain (@avianmessiah)

Rating: 78.9 | #MPGR2018 Rank: 24

After a brief ban at the beginning of the year, Charlie “AbsentPage” McKinley was allowed back at tournaments starting in September of this year. Despite the gap in attendance, the results AbsentPage put up in the first 3 months of the year are impressive enough to warrant his place in the top 30. At The Script Episode 2, he took sets over lint, Junebug, and iBDW (in a reverse 3-0!) to end at an impressive 3rd place. Only six days later at Hold That L 2, he took home the gold by defeating moky twice. Additional wins over Hax, KJH, Kalvar, Squid, bobby big ballz, and Kurv should make it clear that once AbsentPage returns to the national scene, he’ll once again be a force to be reckoned with.

Written by: Darren "Krakhead" Lynch | Edited by: Bekah "Chime" Wong

MPGR: How do you feel Melee changed in 2019?

AbsentPage: Completely different from how it was before, as the game itself has evolved.

MPGR: At this stage in your Melee career, who would you consider your rival?

AbsentPage: I have no rival to be honest.

MPGR: Say something you want to share with your fans.

AbsentPage: Sorry guys, I'll be back, I'm just getting a car first lol.

#MPGR2019 No. 26: ARMY © Philippe Massicotte (instagram.com/mlihp/)

Rating: 79.6 | #MPGR2018 Rank: 20

Got n0ne, got Axe. Mang0, Ginger, who next?

While he didn’t quite repeat his lofty rank of No. 20 and didn’t venture out of the southwest United States in 2019, Armand “ARMY” Del Duca certainly boasts his fair share of impressive wins from last year.

The SoCal Ice Climbers main started the year strong, defeating two top 20 players in Axe and Captain Faceroll to win Smash Camp 2019 in January. At September’s Mainstage, he defeated Mang0 in a reverse 3-0 and outlasted fellow Ice Climbers main ChuDat 3-2. Other victims of this wobbling titan include Captain Faceroll, Ginger, n0ne, and SFAT.

Yes, there were frustrating losses to Violence and MoG en route to a 129th place finish at Genesis 6, but ARMY remains one of the game’s best and most innovative Ice Climbers. Don’t feel embarrassed if you develop a strange urge to start cheering while watching him.

Written by: Matt "Bitts" Bittle | Edited by: Rui "Rui" Yang Xu

MPGR: What was your proudest achievement of 2019?

ARMY: Honestly, I'm proud that I've been prioritizing real life things this year and finding my self-confidence outside of the game. I was a Melee degen for literally 5 straight years losing sight of progression in pretty much every other area lol. Overcoming that, I think this newfound balance will have positive effects for my play next year.

MPGR: What's your favorite tournament series, and why?

ARMY: Friday Night Turnip EASILY is my favorite tournament series. Actually scratch that, any tourney ran by Top Shelf will always be #1, shoutout to Gerry the GOAT TO.

MPGR: At this stage in your Melee career, who would you consider your rival?

ARMY: Some may think Fiction, or maybe even Faceroll...BUT the real answer is obvious: ilovearmywoooooooooooo

#MPGR2019 No. 25: lloD © Nicholas Kaufmann Photography (@nkp_photography)

Rating: 80 | #MPGR2018 Rank: 21

Arjun “lloD” Malhotra limited his tournament attendance in 2019 in order to focus on medical school. Even so, he made a big mark on the tournaments he did attend and earned himself the remarkable rank of No. 25.

His first major of the year, Pound 2019, was less-than-stellar; he placed a disappointing 33rd after losing to La Luna and HTwa. However, to say that lloD performed much better in the second half of the year would be a massive understatement. He peaked with 4th at Super Smash Con, where he double-eliminated aMSa. Two weeks later, he finished 9th at Shine, defeating PewPewU and becoming the first Peach to take a game against Hungrybox in nearly a decade.

As lloD’s major results were limited, panelists also evaluated his regionals and locals; he performed well at these smaller events, earning wins over Zain, Rishi, and Drephen. Despite limited activity, lloD has remained one of Melee’s strongest contenders.

Written by: Dylan "Dilly-Jo" Tate | Edited by: Alexander "Quality Steve" Lee

MPGR: What are your priorities for 2020?

lloD: For 2020 especially, medical school will be my main priority, as the first half of the year will be devoted to studying for the national medical licensing examinations in May, and the second half will involve the start of my clinical rotations. Other than that, I will continue to attend as many tournaments as possible, and do my best to keep Peach on the map.

MPGR: How do you feel about your 2019 in Melee, as a whole?

lloD: 2019 Melee was weird for me, as balancing smash with medical school was a lot tougher than I thought it would be. My city doesn't have much of a local scene nor a consistent internet service, so it was tough to stay in practice. However, I performed pretty darn well at the two nationals I attended in the 2nd half of the year, proving to myself that I still have what it takes to get to the top.

MPGR: What was your proudest achievement of 2019?

lloD: Even though it was "just one game," taking a game off of Hungrybox at Shine 2019 was a huge milestone for me. In a matchup in which even Armada had given up, this small victory was big for me, as it helped prove to myself and to the world that I'm capable of pushing Peach as a character further than ever before. Maybe in 2020 I'll take a full set ;)

#MPGR2019 No. 24: PewPewU © Nicholas Kaufman Photography (@nkp_photography)

Rating: 81.5 | #MPGR2018 Rank: 15

Despite a strong start to the year, Kevin "PewPewU" Toy was unable to replicate his top 15 finish from 2018. The Norcal Marth main scored his best result of the year at Genesis 6, where he defeated HugS, Hax$, and a red-hot Trif to finish 5th. Following a string of consistent 13ths and 17ths at majors, he bookended his year by defeating Westballz, Tai, and n0ne to place 5th at Mainstage.

While he will always be one of the best doubles team with his longtime partner SFAT, PewPewU still has room to improve his results as a singles competitor. If he’s able to consistently perform and have great results like Mainstage and Genesis 6, PewPewU could certainly become a top 10 player in the coming year.

Written by: Rui "Rui" Yang Xu | Edited by: Matt "Bitts" Bittle

#MPGR2019 No. 23: ChuDat © Jeff Mathieu (@Delta52_)

Rating: Rating: 82.2 | #MPGR2018 Rank: 46

The longevity of Daniel "ChuDat" Rodriguez has once again been tested, and once again he’s proven that he’s still able to hang with some of the best in the scene. On top of his impeccable consistency, ChuDat had a marquee showing at Shine 2019, where he defeated Fiction, Swedish Delight, and moky to place an amazing 4th. Elsewhere, he added victories against Axe and SFAT, and he achieved another top 8 at Pound 2019.

While ChuDat has been all over the rankings in recent years, don’t expect him to drop out completely any time soon. As long as he’s able to maintain his consistent play, ChuDat will always have a spot in the top 100. Why? Because he’s ChuDat and he’s too good!

Written by: Rui "Rui" Yang Xu | Edited by: Matt "Bitts" Bittle

MPGR: What was your proudest achievement of 2019?

ChuDat: Finally overcoming Swedish, PewPewU, and SFAT. Also, beating Fiction and moky in the runbacks after losing to them at previous tournaments. Consistency.

MPGR: What are your priorities for 2020?

ChuDat: Win a major + Win doubles. Grow my stream.

MPGR: How do you feel about your 2019 in Melee, as a whole?

ChuDat: 2019 was amazing for me especially after the slump in 2018.

#MPGR2019 No. 22: Spark © Zaid Ali (@SSBM_Spark)

Rating: 82.7 | #MPGR2018 Rank: 53

For the second half of 2019, Zaid “Spark” Ali threw himself into the fray wholeheartedly after an impressive run at Genesis 6, and it’s paid off as he’s rocketed through the rankings in a seemingly unstoppable climb. Smash Camp: End of Summer catapulted him to new heights with an absolute tear of a run through losers, overcoming Medz, aMSa, and even Mang0 before losing to Captain Faceroll for 4th. From there, Spark only sought even greater pinnacles, placing 13th at Shine 2019 and 4th at DreamHack Atlanta 2019. With such a galvanizing end to the year, Spark’s coming into the new season warmed up and ready to scale new summits.

Written by: Bekah "Chime" Wong | Edited by: Darren "Krakhead" Lynch

MPGR: What about the year do you feel satisfied with? What about the year do you feel unsatisfied with?

Spark: I feel satisfied with my performances, but unsatisfied with my work ethic.

MPGR: Currently, what motivates you to compete in Melee?

Spark: The game is extremely fun, and I've never felt the incredible feeling of accomplishment it brings me anywhere else.

MPGR: Who are the two best characters in Melee, and why?

Spark: Sheik is the best character in my opinion because she goes even with Fox and Jigglypuff, solidly beats ICs, Falco, Marth, Falcon, and Peach, and destroys the rest of the cast. Fox is the second-best character in my opinion because his overall matchup spread (despite having a losing matchup vs Marth) and reversals cause him to be slightly better than Marth and Jigglypuff.

#MPGR2019 No. 21: Ginger © Evan Johnson (@EvanJPhoto)

Rating: 83.2 | #MPGR2018 Rank: 40

A lot can change in a year, and nobody knows that better than Avery “Ginger” Wilson. Ginger went from placing outside the top 24 at Genesis 5 to making his first ever major top 8 at Genesis 6, and the rest of his year saw similar growth. His fantastic start to the 2019 season included wins on players such as iBDW, S2J, and Captain Faceroll. And he raised his floor across the board, competing at dozens of tournaments across the country without missing that top 24 mark a single time. A student of the game and a consistent traveler, Ginger has an even bigger year ahead of him if he keeps advancing upward.

Written by: Christopher "SomeonesPC" Matis | Edited by: Cagan "Cagan" Hawthorne

MPGR: How do you feel about your 2019 in Melee, as a whole?

Ginger: I felt it was my best year yet, and I was able to overcome a lot of personal challenges.

MPGR: Why do you main who you main?

Ginger: I think Falco is not only the best character in the game, but he’s also the most fun.

MPGR: Say something you want to share with your fans.

Ginger: I would literally not be able to do this without the support of my fans. If you guys ever want a friendly or a picture or an autograph please come up and ask!

Administrative Team:

Head Editor and Statistician: Andrew “PracticalTAS” Nestico

Graphics: Nick “DarkDragoon” Konstantino

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