Thyago Vieira charting a new course in Chicago

Thyago Vieira’s physique is striking. Listed at 6-2 and 210 pounds, he has broad shoulders, thick legs, big arms and a strong presence. He looks more like an NFL linebacker than a pitcher.

When you see him throw, the thing that’s kept Vieira out of the majors is that his big arm isn’t striking enough. He has hit 103-mph on the radar gun, making him one of the more intriguing prospects out there. On paper.

But when you dig into Vieira’s story a little deeper you find the story only gets more interesting.

Against the grain

As a child Vieira decided to try baseball because “everyone else was playing soccer.” He said that futbol being the national sport in Brazil means everyone wants to play that.

He was more interested in the diamond. As he began playing he fell in love with baseball and wanted to continue pursuing his new hobby beyond playing games with children.

In fact, Vieira didn’t even know what the major leagues looked like until he came to the United States in 2013 as a raw, 20-year-old flamethrower.

“I didn’t know how the system works here,” Vieira told La Vida Baseball. “When I started playing baseball it was to have fun. When I was 16 and 17, when most people in Brazil start looking for jobs, I just wanted to play baseball.”

Seattle signed Vieira as a non-drafted free agent out of Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2010 for $65,000. At the time, there hadn’t been a single pitcher from Brazil to make it to the majors yet. Finding a role model wasn’t easy.

Vieira wasn’t looking to emulate anyone else’s game. He just wanted to have fun.

He spent the following two years on the Mariners’ Venezuelan Summer League team, and the only thing that stood out was his arm. The radar gun loved him but the ball wasn’t finding the strike zone frequently enough.

Learning Curve

After the 2015 season the Mariners almost cut Vieira. It’s hard to give up on a kid who makes 100 mph look easy. Ethan Katz, a pitching coach in lower levels of the Mariners’ organization at the time, saw the potential in Vieira and took him on as a project in 2016.

The result: a breakout season. At Class A Bakersfield, Vieira struck out 53 and walked only 18 in 44 1/3 innings. Suddenly the Mariners had a pitcher, thanks to the confidence Katz had in Vieira’s talent and ability.

Vieira was still figuring out how to approach the game.

“When I got to the U.S. I didn’t know how important statistics are,” he said. “My teammates and coaches helped me understand the importance of numbers and how to use them to get better. My teammates also helped me learn how to train better, and my coaches helped me with my mechanics and pitching smarter.”

After a good 2016 season, Vieira was on the map. He was invited to the 2017 Futures Game in Miami to play on a World Team that also featured current White Sox second baseman Yoan Moncada and Sox outfield prospect Eloy Jimenez, who was with the Cubs at that time.
Everything was progressing quickly for Vieira. The next step was a big one.

The road less traveled

When Vieira made his major league debut last Aug. 14, he became only the second player from Brazil to walk onto a major league pitching mound. And that debut was as wild as the journey to get Vieira to that place. His final warm-up pitch missed the mark by about 10 feet.

The first official pitch he threw in a major league game almost took his head off; Baltimore’s Chris Davis hit a line drive right back at the big righthander, who saved himself with a nice catch.

Vieira survived the inning and was sent back to the minors after the game. His first taste of the big leagues made him want it even more.

Unfortunately, Vieira wouldn’t throw another inning for the Mariners. Over the winter, Seattle traded him to the White Sox for $500,000 in international slot money – almost 10 times the amount it cost to sign Vieira as a teenager.

The change of scenery offered a new opportunity. With the young, rebuilding White Sox, Vieira continued to work on his craft until the opportunity came to rejoin the major league roster.

On July 27, Vieira was called up to join the White Sox bullpen.

Growing the Game

There have now been three pitchers from Vieira’s country to make it to the majors. Andre Rienzo appeared in 42 games between 2013-15. Since Vieira made his debut with the Mariners last year, another young pitcher from Brazil – Luis Gohara of the Atlanta Braves – made the leap to the big leagues.

Two position players, Kansas City’s Paolo Orlando and Cleveland’s Yan Gomes, are representing Brazil in the majors as well, meaning four of the five players from the country to ever reach the majors are currently active.

“We talk a lot, almost every day,” Vieira said of his fellow Brazilians. “We text each other or call each other to wish each other good luck and cheer for each other.”

Vieira noted that having the support of the other players has been important. The only members of his family who have seen him pitch in person have been his wife and young daughter. That doesn’t mean his success isn’t well known back home.

Seeing Gomes become the first Brazilian All-Star this year was a special moment for Vieira.

“I felt proud to see a countryman doing something so important on behalf of the country,” he said. “For me as a baseball player when I saw him at the All-Star Game – and when I’ve seen other Brazilians have success in the majors – it motivates me to follow the same path. I want to follow that example and represent my country well.”

“To be one of five major leaguers from Brazil means a lot. There’s a lot of responsibility being in the majors”

Brazil is emerging as a hot area for scouts. Vieira knows the next generation of players will look up to Gomes, Gohara, Orlando and him.

“We want to show kids that we can succeed in the majors,” he said, “and give them players to follow into the league.”

Featured Image: Ron Vesely / Getty Images Sport