Scouting Report: Jurrangelo Cijntje

Scouting Report: Jurrangelo Cijntje

The Cardinals acquired Jurrangelo Cijntje in the Brendan Donovan trade; he’s a look at what the team got.

Scouting Report: Jurrangelo Cijntje
Position: Right Handed Starting Pitcher (with the ability to pitch from the left side)
Age: 22
Bats/Throws: Switch/Switch (ambidextrous pitcher)
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 200
School: Mississippi St
Drafted: 1st round (15th overall), Seattle Mariners, 2024
Acquired: 02/02/2026 in 3‑team trade with the Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays
Highest Level: AA

Cijntje is a rare pitching prospect: a legitimate ambidextrous pitcher capable of reaching professional‑grade velocity and feel from both arms. Others have attempted it, with only Pat Venditte making it to the majors as a true switch pitcher in recent history; he only pitched in 61 games as a reliver with subpar results (and was responsible for the Venditte Rule, stating the pitcher must declare which arm they are throwing with at the beginning of an at bat).

While his novelty draws attention, it’s his more advanced right‑handed arsenal that represents his true long‑term upside. The Cardinals have indicated plans to have him focus primarily on pitching right‑handed in games, while maintaining left‑handed work in practice/bullpens, which is similar to what the Mariners had him do.

Arsenal

• RH Pitches
  • Fastball: sits 95-97 MPH, but can touch 98-99 in the upper zone; it also shows above-average movement. Hitters have struggled to catch up to it so far, but it projects the same for MLB hitters. Grade 60
  • Slider: Mid-80s which appears more like a cutter; has great depth and power, but needs a little more command before it’s a plus pitch. Grade 55
  • Change: 87-89 with a fading action; it’s more of a power change rather than a soft pitch to throw off hitters. It also doesn’t miss many bats, but typically generates groundballs when hit. Grade 50
• LH Pitches
  • Fastball: 90-92 with less movement than the right side; he also throws it from a lower arm angle, which tunnels his slider. Grade 50
  • Slider: Low-80s with sweeping action. Grade 55
• Control: Grade 45 from both sides

Right now, his control is holding him back. He walked 4.24 batters per 9 innings in 2025; it was also his first exposure to professional hitters and he saw improvement from his freshman year to his sophomore year while at Mississippi St. I’m expecting a step forward in 2026.

Here’s a video of him pitching at Double A last season.

Comps

• Marcus Stroman: Both are smaller starters with power stuff and ground-ball tendencies. They each had upper 90s fastballs with great sliders and serviceable changeups. At this point of Cijntje’s career, Stroman had similar ground ball and swinging strike rates. The biggest difference is Stroman’s sinker, which had better movement and command than what Cijntje has shown. Cijntje also has a higher ceiling than Stroman did after 1 professional season.
• Frankie Montas: Both pitchers flash high velocity fastballs and moving breaking pitches. Montas also showed the early control struggles that have shown up with Cijntje. Montas is a good cautionary tale, since he’s struggled to stay healthy and still has bouts of control issues. He’s also a good best case as a #3 starter.
• Luis Patino: He’s a better comp for Montas, but fits here for the same reason Montas fits.
• Jose Berrios: Berrios saw his profession career start much like Cijntje’s: good raw stuff with an athletic delivery that was prone to a few too many homers. Berrios has obviously overcame that, so there is hop for Cijntje.
• Pat Venditte: Venditte will always be mentioned when talking about Cijntje since he’s the most recent switch pitcher. That’s pretty much it with the comparisons though, as Venditte has good control and low velocity (mid-80s from both sides).
  

Potential

• Ceiling: #2-3 starter; it’s a big if though because he needs his control to be much better to get to hit this ceiling.
• Floor: Mop-up guy; even with his small frame, he’s been able to increase his work load each year since his freshman year of college.
• ETA: Late 2026 at the earliest, and that’s if he takes the step forward with control. More likely 2027.

As the primary piece in the Brendan Donovan trade, his upside is exactly what the team needed to get. He’s at the back end of some top 100 prospect lists and has the most potential of any of the players the Cardinals have gotten in trades this off-season.

I’m planning on doing more of these through spring training; in the mean time, check out some I’ve already written.