The 2020 PBA tour is off to a tremendous start. The sport has been desperately trying to recreate the magic its telecasts used to convey on a weekly basis. The early portion of this season has undoubtedly been a step in the right direction, as seemingly each week the telecast delivers a captivating show.

Tommy Jones capped off his Hall of Fame induction by not only winning the tour’s opening event at the Hall of Fame Classic, but rolling a perfect 300 game in the title match.

Kyle Troup delivered an emotional victory at the Jonesboro Open and narrowly missed the Tournament of Champions TV show as his mother faced what would be her final days in her battle against cancer.

Budding superstar Kris Prather ran the stacked stepladder to notch his first career major victory at the Tournament of Champions, while veteran Bill O’Neill earned his first major title in over a decade and second of his career at the Players Championship.

But when the face of the sport and arguably the greatest of all-time is involved, no player stands a chance of matching his presence. Jason Belmonte, the defending Player of the Year, picked up right where he left off in 2019: making history. Belmonte’s US Open championship extended his major titles record to twelve. In doing so, he became the second player ever to achieve the Super Slam by winning all five majors. Belmonte inconceivably stands one more US Open victory away from two titles at every major — a double Super Slam, if you will.

Tommy Jones celebrates his victoyr at the PBA Hall of Fame Classic

There’s been no shortage of signature moments, which has been aided by having a new champion each week. Without a repeat winner, the race for the Chris Schenkel Player of the Year award is very much up in the air. However, looking at the entirety of the season thus far, it’s impossible to dispute “Belmo” as the early favorite.

Belmonte has been the tour’s most consistent player, leading all players in cashes (seven), match play appearances (six) and championship round appearances (four). His 224.11 average (of players with at least four events) leads the tour by nearly three pins per game and nearly six pins over third place. He’s been so dominant that he was forced to address his “slump” on the US Open show, which was his fourth consecutive TV show appearance. Belmonte faces LeBron James-level expectations on a weekly basis: anything short of a title is an abject failure, regardless of the circumstances.

The Australian may have the early lead in the 2020 Player of the Year race, but plenty of players are firmly within the hunt. Anthony Simonsen, though yet to win a title, trails only Belmonte in average (221.28) and championship round apperances (three). He finished second and third in the US Open and Tournament of Champions, respectively.

Similarly, the lack of a title is the only blemish EJ Tackett’s resume. He ranks third in average (218.90), and second in match play appearances (five). Simonsen and Tackett have cashed in six of seven events. One title could easily elevate either player to the front-runner position.

Prather and O’Neill have also cashed in six of seven events and hold a coveted major title. Prather ranks fifth in average (218.34), while O’Neill ranks ninth at 217.57. Their consistency is on par with Simonsen and Tackett, but their title gives them the early edge.

Shawn Maldonado rounds out the top five in average at 218.64, ranking fourth. Some other names to watch are Troup, Jesper Svennson, Tom Smallwood and Chris Barnes.

My current ballot (through seven events):

  1. Jason Belmonte
  2. Kris Prather
  3. Bill O’Neill
  4. Anthony Simonsen
  5. EJ Tackett