I think Kyle Santucci will win the PSL Championships. His North American Championship final in July is what really sold me.
Kyle became 2026 North American Champion with a 5.63 average:
5.30, (6.28), (5.23), 5.50, and 6.09.
I’ve always thought Kyle had more speed than his results showed. When all cylinders are firing, his turning speed is arguably the fastest in this field. That’s why I’m picking him, although the nerves and lockups still concern me.
Why the Format Matters
The championship uses a double-elimination bracket, with matches growing to best of 5 sets in the finals. My thought is that the longer format will help Kyle. A WCA final gives you five solves, and a couple of mistakes can change everything. Over several sets, I think his talent has more time to shine through.
Of course, that depends on him keeping the lockups under control. More solves won’t fix that on their own, but after watching NAC, I trust him more than I did before.
There Is a Case for Everyone
The nmckee.com simulation linked here puts Luke Griesser first at 25.74% chance to win, followed by Dylan Miller at 25.13% and Kyle at 18.08%. Those are results from a simulation using WCA results, not established odds for PSL’s bracket.
Dylan Miller won PSL season MVP. If you’re picking based on who has done the most in PSL this season, it’s hard to argue against him.
Patrick Ponce looked composed at PSL Michigan and broke the one-handed world record single soon after. If any match comes down to a few close solves, I’d trust him to handle the pressure.
Valerio Locatelli is new to PSL, but he was second at the European Championship with a 5.74 average. He finished ahead of Tymon Kolasiński in that competition.
Morgan Yeh sits sixth in the simulation at 6.58%, but he beat Kyle at the 2025 Canadian Championship, winning with 6.10 to Kyle’s 6.19. I can’t count him out when he’s already beaten the person I’m picking.
Luke Is My Second Pick
Luke is my second pick. His F2L and ZB execution have looked much more consistent lately, and his lookahead has been excellent. Watching him, I feel like he’s getting things to click at a right time.
The simulation already favors him, so he’s hardly a dark horse by the numbers, but it’s his recent improvement that makes him my second pick.
Kyle is still my pick, but I can make an argument for any of these six. NAC was the performance I’d been waiting to see from Kyle, and I think he can repeat that performance.
The PSL Championships take place October 24, 2026, at Container Park in Las Vegas, Nevada. Watch live on SpeedcubingTV’s YouTube channel.
Excited to see who will win! I think there will be a lot of close matches.