Mickey Mantle, Eddie Murray and Chipper Jones are some of baseball’s most iconic switch-hitters. But switch-pitching? Not so much. There is the story of Greg Harris who convinced Montreal Expos manager Felipe Alou to let him pitch from both sides in the final game of his career in 1995. Pat Venditte managed to find his way to the majors, taking the league by storm and logging 72 1/3 innings for six teams between 2015 to 2020.
Now, a new both-handed pitcher from Mississippi State is grabbing attention from scouts and players alike. Jurrangelo Cijntje is a pitcher who can touch 99 mph with his right arm and then flip his custom Wilson glove to his other hand and throw a baseball 95 mph with his left. The Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the 2022 MLB Draft but went to college instead. He is a possible first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, a pitcher with major league potential to pitch with both arms.
Jurrangelo Cijntje is an ambidextrous pitcher for Mississippi State
He throws 90+ MPH with both arms and has a custom righty-lefty glove ? pic.twitter.com/VWCBjm5a1E
— MLB (@MLB) April 19, 2024
Jurrangelo Cijntje is the Next Switch-Pitching Phenom
Cijntje, 21, is the clear favorite as the most interesting prospect in the upcoming draft. He could convince everyone that he could do something rare: be a full-time switch pitcher in professional baseball. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and it tops out at 98 mph as a right-hander. He also throws a slider and changeup in the 90 mph range as a right-hander. From the opposite side, Cijntje’s fastball sits in the low 90s, topping out at 95 mph, and he can throw a sweep-heavy breaking ball in the low 80s.
Jurrangelo Cijntje throwing ??
?» https://t.co/1n7mxX4Xcp#HailState? pic.twitter.com/OwAxLIwrqU
— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) June 1, 2024
His right arm might be his natural arm, but it’s actually his left. Cijntje wanted to be a a catcher, like his father Mechangelo, who was a former pro player in the Netherlands. Left-handed catchers are rare, however. Cijntje would have to find another position to play, eventually settling for pitching. He set out to prove himself right, training his right to be as strong as his left by repeatedly throwing a baseball with a screw in a tire in his backyard.
Draft Profile
RHP scouting grades: Fastball: 60| Slider: 55| Changeup: 50| Control: 45| Overall: 50
LHP scouting grades: Fastabll: 50| Slider: 55| Chnageup: 45| Control: 45| Overall: 40
Scouts believe Cijntje is a Marcus Stroman-type starter as a right-hander against profiling more as a reliever as a left-hander. He has been pitching right-handed against left-handed hitters more often in 2024 with many scouts wanting him to do so full-time. His 5’11” build has questions surrounding his long-term durability as a starter, but he’s strong and athletic. He has significantly improved his strike-throwing as a sophomore and could develop average control once he gains more experience.
Main Photo: © Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
