The Pittsburgh Pirates have drafted left-handed pitcher Cam Vieaux out of Michigan State in the sixth round of the 2016 draft. He’s a 6’4″, 200 pound red-shirt junior, who turned 23 back in February. Baseball America has him rated 245th in this draft class. He was taken in the 19th round last year by the Detroit Tigers.
Vieaux is a polished lefty pitcher without any true plus pitch according to Baseball America. He sits 87-91 MPH and has a changeup that has been called both average and solid. He also has a slider that occasionally flashes plus potential, and a seldom-used curveball. He can throw all four pitches for strikes.
Brian Sakowski, who is a National Scouting Coordinator for Perfect Game, had better things to say about Vieaux:
Pirates take Michigan State left-hander Cam Vieaux, I like him a good bit. 88-93 w/ good life, slider will be 55, CH is solid. VG athlete.
— Brian Sakowski (@B_Sakowski_PG) June 10, 2016
Back in early May, Vieaux left his start with shoulder tightness. He only missed one start, but he struggled in his return, only to end with a strong finish two weeks ago against Nebraska. In that game, he allowed one run over 8.2 innings, leaving due to a blister on his throwing hand. In 87 innings this year, he had a 2.28 ERA, with 19 walks and 77 strikeouts. He has thrown over 70 innings each of the last three seasons.
Vieaux still has one year of eligibility left, though it’s unlikely the Pirates would take him in the sixth round if they didn’t know already that he would sign. He would also be 24 next year and have no leverage as a senior. The Pirates will likely save some money on his signing to cover earlier picks, who looked to be possible over-slot bonuses.
