Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Thyago Vieira pumped his fist in the sky Thursday night after striking out the Dodgers in the ninth inning, which also secured the win the night before.

Diamondbacks fans can be forgiven for not knowing much about the big man from Brazil. These two appearances were his first since June 26. All six previous appearances with Arizona came amid crushing losses when fans had probably already tuned out. He has a 2.92 ERA in 12.1 innings with 10 strikeouts since being claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles on June 6.

In fact, yesterday's game showed his talent in a clear 9-3 win. He pumped fastballs between 97 and 100 mph and mixed in a few sliders, getting five WHIFFS in six swings. That's always been Vieira's potential, but it wasn't often tapped into.

At 31 years old, some might be inclined to write him off as a pitcher who will never reach his potential. He was originally signed by the Mariners in 2011 at the age of 18 and is now playing in his 5th MLB organization.

He has thrown just 63 innings at the major league level, posting a career ERA of 5.97 and a FIP of 4.86. He has 37 walks, 61 strikeouts and 12 home runs allowed. Vieira also spent three years as a pitcher in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants from 2020-2022.

It's important to understand that he comes from a country, Brazil, that doesn't have a strong amateur development system. Only five players from Brazil have made it to the major leagues. With that background and so few innings in the MLB, he may just be a late bloomer.

I had the opportunity to meet him before the trip and get to know him better. He gave some very interesting insights into his personal life and his development as a pitcher. Note that Vieira speaks English and did not require a translator for this interview.

You come from Brazil and your native language is Portuguese. Do you also speak Spanish?

“Yes, I do. I learned in Venezuela because I played in the summer league my first two years as a professional. So I spent two years there and learned Spanish. And then I moved to the US in 2013 and started learning English with the guys there. [Teammates]”

You played in Japan for three years. How was that?

“Wow, for me it was a really good experience. I learned a lot, especially how to be consistent with my routine and started paying more attention to how the best players prepare. I tried to put it all together and I think it was a lot of little things that helped me get back to the major leagues.”

You've been used as a short reliever most of your career, but Torey Lovullo has praised your ability to give the team length at times since your move.

“I would say, first of all, it's a little different because throughout my career I've usually thrown one or two innings. But other than that, I'm just trying to figure out how I can help the team and be prepared for any kind of situation. I don't try to think about it too much, just go out there, compete and do my best.”

There are not many players from Brazil in the league

“I'm alone right now because I heard Yan Gomes got DFA'd. So I'm alone right now.”

Tell me about amateur baseball in Brazil and how the game is developing there.

“Baseball is really small there. We don't have that many pros. We have a few guys in the minor leagues. The next guy who has a good chance of getting to the major leagues is Eric Pardinho from Toronto. He's really good. He's a real player right now.”

“That being said, baseball in Brazil is growing slowly but much better than in the past. I would say they have more opportunities now. More talent scouts are going to Brazil, they have an academy there. They are trying to improve baseball there, but for us it is a bit difficult because soccer is the number one sport.”

Are the local churrasco (Brazilian BBQ) restaurants authentic?

[Lets out a big laugh] “Not really, but it's still good. It helps us a lot because we spend so much time away from our hometown. So we just try to find some similar places here. It works well. It's better than nothing.”

Vieira is spending the offseason with his family in Brazil. The 6'3″, 250-pound man always has a smile on his face and seems to get along very well with his teammates in the locker room. The D-backs may have found a diamond in the rough that Brent Strom and the coaching staff can help smooth out the rough edges and make him an effective reliever in the future.