Jurrangelo Cijntje, a freshman switch-pitcher for Mississippi State, made his first collegiate start on Wednesday against the University of Louisiana Monroe.
Cijntje, 19, held the Warhawks to one hit over four scoreless innings. He struck out seven batters and issued just one walk, though he also hit a batter. He picked up the victory as part of a 14-3 Bulldogs victory, improving his record to 2-0 on the season. (Cijntje had previously pitched an inning in relief against VMI, allowing two hits but no runs last Sunday.)
As you can see in the clip below, Cijntje was clocked up to 97 mph from the right side. As a lefty, he reached 92 mph on the afternoon:
Cijntje was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 18th round last summer, 552nd overall. He opted to attend college instead of signing, meaning that he will not be draft-eligible again until after his junior season, or summer 2025. Here's part of Baseball America's report on Cijntje from last July, when the publication ranked him as the 259th best prospect in the class:
He gets his fastball up to 96 and sits in the low 90s from the right side, and pitches in the upper 80s and touches the low 90s from the left side. Being able to throw 90 mph with both hands puts Cijntje in a massively small circle of players, and he also has a slider around 80 mph from the right side that gives him an average secondary. He throws a slower, mid-70s curveball from the left side. Unlike many ambidextrous pitchers, Cijntje has real touch and feel with both arms and could be a legitimate two-way pitcher at Mississippi State if he makes it to campus.
While it's too early to know for sure what the future holds for Cijntje, a switch-pitcher is a rare quantity in Major League Baseball. Pat Venditte is the most recent individual to attempt being one, having appeared in 61 games over parts of five big-league seasons. Venditte, who hasn't pitched since 2020, appears to have finished his career with a 4.73 ERA (87 ERA+) and a 2.07 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
