Best of Bucs on Deck in 2023
A look back at the most popular articles from 2023 on Bucs on Deck
With 2023 ending, I decided it would be fun to look back at the year at Bucs on Deck quickly.
The site wasn’t planned, but what has come from it has been amazing. As of writing this article, Bucs on Deck has gotten nearly half a million page views in a little more than five full months.
We have so much planned for 2024, and I am excited to show everyone, but in the meantime, here is one last look at the best of 2023.
Top 5 articles on Bucs on Deck in 2023 by pageviews
Late December look at how the lineup and bench are falling into shape
10 Observations: Jhonny Severino hits home run in debut
Management reaffirms Henry Davis at catcher for 2024
Pittsburgh Pirates Rule 5 Preview
Explaining payroll implications of the Marco Gonzales trade
My favorite article of 2023: Thomas Harrington ‘multi-dimensional’ approach
Getting a chance to not only go to Greensboro to watch the Grasshoppers but also get credentials to talk to some of the players and coaches is something I have been hoping to do since I started writing.
If I had to walk away from writing (I’m not), I feel like that was the last thing that I really wanted to accomplish. So, my favorite article of 2023 is one that I wrote after my trip. I did a few, including one talking to manager Robby Hammock about Bubba Chandler, but I gave the edge to the Thomas Harrington article I wrote.
He’s a pitcher that I’m high on, and getting to talk to him and learn more about his approach on the mound was great.
WTM: Pirates 2023 Minor League Recaps: Bradenton Marauders
That one stood out from the others because of the number of interesting prospects who appeared on a constantly changing roster due to injuries, promotions, the draft, etc. Of course, nearly all of them need to take a step forward, which hasn’t happened much under the current front office, but at least in a surprising number of cases, there was something to build on.
There was Termarr Johnson, of course, but there were also quite a few hitters who showed some power, most notably Lonnie White, Jr., and Shalin Polanco, as well as some other interesting position players, like Yordany De Los Santos, Mitch Jebb and Omar Alfonzo, among numerous others.
The pitchers, despite the lack of high-profile types (excluding a cameo from Paul Skenes), covered the waterfront, too. Some starters earned promotions (Thomas Harrington, J.P. Massey), and others stuck around for needed experience (Owen Kellington, Alessandro Ercolani, Wilber Dotel). And some were coming back from injury, including Hunter Barco and Carlos Jimenez.
And there were some hard-throwing relievers in Brandan Bidois and Patrick Reilly, along with lefties who missed a lot of bats in Jaden Woods and Julian Bosnic. So it was fun just listing out all the players who at least showed some upside.
Ethan: Explaining payroll implications of the Marco Gonzales trade
I’m not as prolific as others around here, so I don’t have as much to choose from, making it a fairly easy choice. I’m going with my recap on the Marco Gonzales trade—the financial recap that is.
I’m going with this not only because it’s the work I enjoy—contracts, rules, and the impact of the latter on the former—but because I broke the news, so to speak. The Associated Press eventually came out with the same $9.25 million in cash considerations—in a report on Martín Pérez nearly two weeks later, no less—and the same $3 million figure I had from the start eventually started to make the rounds (without any attribution, unfortunately). I was proud to have it available to everyone that night on Xwitter and here the next day, with an explanation of how it all worked from a financial perspective.
Sure, I’m self-aware enough to realize maybe I’m tooting my own horn a bit, but I’m not going to lie—it was fun being “Reporter Ethan,” if even for a day, and that’s why this is my choice.
Ryan: Quinn Priester relies on video for positives and opportunities
I think my favorite story for the site was about Quinn Priester and his use of video to make adjustments. I wrote this at a time when Priester was optioned back to Indianapolis to make some adjustments, which were pretty clear on the field.
However, getting that ‘behind the scenes’ look at how he goes about his business was fun. The story about him learning to pitch partially from YouTube had been public, but learning more about who he modeled his mound work after in the process was neat also.
NolaJeffy: VAAHAALLA
For me, it'd probably be the VAAHAALLA article. It was fun and challenging trying to research and fully understand the different variables included with VAA. I also enjoyed speaking with Alex Chamberlain on the side in order to grasp the concept better.
Special shoutout to Ethan, who had the TWO most popular articles on the site this year.
Well done, BoD crew. Here's hoping for one million page views in 2024 by July 1st!