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MasterChef S12 Power Rankings (Pre-Game: Top 20)

Aug 9, 2022 by PowerRankings101

I know I’m behind, but I’m going to be watching a LOT of MasterChef in order to catch-up on the season currently airing. And what a strong start, following three great “audition” episodes for this Back to Win season. While we’ve seen these contestants before, I’m still excited to see them on this return, improved and hungrier than ever for a win. I love an All-Stars season, so let’s rank these contestants based on their initial seasons AND these recent auditions.

20. Alejandro Valdivia- I’m honestly a bit upset that of ALL the contestants from season 11 (one of the strongest seasons in recent memory), we get only Lexy and Alejandro in auditions, and only Alejandro makes it out of it with an apron?? So many good options (Autumn, Suu, Abe, Joseph, Tay, etc) and Alejandro gets the chance? I don’t know if I watched the same season as everyone else last year, but I think Alejandro was far and away one of the worst contestants to make it to a MasterChef semifinal. Sure, his audition here was fine, but I just can’t imagine he’ll have better consistency with an even tougher group of chefs this season. He’s my first boot prediction. Even if he doesn’t go first, I can’t see him lasting more than a few episodes.

19. Shanika Patterson- Shanika is another case where I don’t know if she’ll necessarily go home second, but when crafting this ranking, I had to think of likelihood of winning the season, and while Shanika will likely do fine on her own, she doesn’t seem like someone who will excel much in team challenges (assuming we’ll see some grueling team challenges given the previews). Her whole arc in the auditions was focused on her rivalry with Emily, and while I don’t remember being overly impressed by either of them in their original season, I think Emily comes across a tad more composed and skilled in the kitchen in general. If there’s a team challenge early on, I could definitely see Shanika being a boot because of it, depending on how eliminations/pressure tests are laid out this year.

18. Bowen Li- Bowen is a joy, and he was a joy on season 9. Why do I have Bowen so low? It’s because, of ALL the auditions we’ve seen, there were only two we didn’t get a full package and edit for: Bowen and Stephen (hence why they’re back to back on this list). I have to believe this means they don’t last too long, which is a shame, but also seems a little obvious from these audition edits.

17. Stephen Lee- Like I said with Bowen, the minimal audition edit just makes me believe neither of them will win, let alone be endgame players. Stephen, however, did seem to get a ton of praise for his dish, so I have a teeny bit more faith for Stephen (it’s also worth mentioning that after Brandi and Derrick and the juniors, Stephen is the highest placing MasterChef finalist in this entire competition, which could bode well).

16. Amanda Saab- Amanda is so sweet and I’m glad to see her get another shot. That being said, of this entire cast, two people haven’t made the top 10: Amanda and Michael. But something tells me from the edit of the auditions that Michael may be a bit of a dark horse. Amanda, however, just seems a bit less likely to stand out. She seems really dessert focused, but I just don’t know how she’ll fare with the more savory elements.

15. Shayne Wells- I love seeing the two MasterChef juniors competing alongside the vets. Shayne, however, didn’t impress me much with his audition. I think it’s easier to get an apron when 2 of 3 auditions get through, so I think Shayne was going to get an apron no matter what, but will he be able to stack up against the older competition? I’m not so sure.

14. Cate Meade- Cate was a strong competitor on her first season, but in this audition, I wasn’t as blown away by her cooking. It came across a tad flustered and messy, and that doesn’t always bode well in the MasterChef kitchen. That being said, she pulled it together in the end. She’s someone I wouldn’t be surprised to see make it far or go home around the midway point of the season.

13. Samantha Daily- I didn’t think Samantha made it too far on her season, but then I was reminded she made it all the way to 4th. Honestly, I’m quite impressed at that, and I think I underestimated her. She could very well surprise a bunch of people. Her audition dish was well executed, despite not being too original.

12. Emily Hallock- Like I said earlier, I think Emily and Shanika’s rivalry will be a big part of the early phase of this season. But that doesn’t mean I think either of them will make it TOO far. I think Emily has a shot of making it about halfway through the season, but I just don’t see the cutthroat nature needed to make it that tiny extra mile into the final phase of the game.

11. Shelly Flash- I don’t remember Shelly too much from her initial season, but she really does have such an amazing charisma and energy, and proves to be a great chef as well. I don’t know how far she’ll go since she placed around the middle of her own season, but I’m rooting for her nonetheless.

10. Tommy Walton- Tommy is a wildcard. He is so out of the box and always presents beautiful food on the plate. Tommy is such a character, I think he’ll go deep no matter what. Does he have what it takes to stack up against the upper tier of players this season? Probably not. But I do think he’ll be a big focal point of the season regardless.

9. Fred Chang- I love Fred. Fred is such a charming, sweet individual. Like Tommy, I think he’s a great plater and makes food look delicious, and for that, he’ll make a big impact this season. While Emily vs. Shanika will be a big part of the rivalries this season, I think Fred and Bri’s friendship will be a big upside. I see Bri going JUST a bit further because Fred seems a tad more dessert focused, but I’d love to be proven wrong if he is able to pull off magic with a savory dish.

8. Bri Baker- Like I said, I think Bri and Fred will be around for a while. I could see them going home around the same point in the season, with Bri slightly outlasting Fred. Either way, I’m excited to see them both.

7. Michael Silverstein- I’ll admit, I was surprised Michael was eliminated so early on season 10. But I was also surprised to see him get a second chance. But his audition was AWESOME, beating out Sarah (one of the best runner-ups in the show’s history). I think Michael is super strong, and definitely underestimated, and if there’s one early boot who I can see going far, it’s him. He could flop, but I think he’s a dark horse.

6. Willie Mike- Willie is going to be consistent. He just doesn’t seem like someone who is going down easily. That being said, his killer instinct may not be as strong as the top 5, which is why I have him just outside of it. But hey, going from 7th to 6th is still an improvement.

5. Brandi Mudd- Brandi and Derrick are obviously going to be the most threatening because they are runners-up (Dara too, despite being in a junior season). But oddly enough, I didn’t pick any of them to win only because I think all stats are out the door when it comes to this season. That being said, they’re runner ups for a reason, and I think she’ll be around for a long time regardless.

4. Derrick Fox- Like I said, I think the runners up can make it FAR and likely will. But I’m going to put Derrick here only because I’m hoping for something a bit less predictable. Only time will tell, but Derrick is still a lethal competitor, so I have no doubt he’ll be around for a while.

3. Dara Yu- I LOVED Dara on her season of MC Junior. I do think people will underestimate the Junior contestants. But Dara has had the most time since her season to grow, and her dish already shows she’s able to compete at a high level. I don’t necessarily think she’ll win, but I’m rooting for her to go all the way to the finals as a fun addition to a finale of a celebration of redemption and growth.

2. Gabriel Lewis- Along the same lines of Dara, Gabriel is young and has a big potential for growth. His audition was last, meaning that he’s going to likely be a big focus going forward this season. He’s got a great story, great skill, and is already an early favorite. I think he’ll be here to the end.

1. Christian Green- Christian is the one who surprised me most in his audition. I liked him on his initial season, but never really thought he’d be a huge contender, until I saw his audition here and realized he is here to WIN. He seemed to be the most determined and passionate of ALL the contestants I saw in auditions, and in a season where everyone wants redemption, Christian may just want it the most. And I think that’ll show. He’s my winner pick.

Well there ya go! I will hopefully be getting out my predictions as I watch more episodes ASAP, but today is busy for me. But I’m looking forward to seeing how wrong I am with so much of this.

PREDICTIONS:

Going Home- Alejandro Valdivia

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MasterChef S12 Power Rankings (Pre-Game: Top 20)

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