Cardinals' Jurrangelo Cijintje Achieved Rare Feat in Latest Outing

The Cardinals have an intriguing pitching prospect on their hands.

Apr 21, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals made a ton of trades last offseason, sending Brendan Donovan, Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras to other teams. Donovan was the biggest piece that they parted with, and they landed a haul of prospects from the Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays for him.

The main piece going back to St. Louis in that deal was switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijintje. He is now the Cardinals' No. 5 prospect, and he made his latest start on Tuesday night for Double-A Springfield.

The switch-pitcher pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed just one run, lowering his ERA on the season to 5.50. However, Max Ralph of MLB.com noted that Cijintje accomplished a rare feat on Tuesday.

Cardinals' Prospect Accomplishes Rare Feat

Apr 15, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; a detailed view of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) hat with a patch honoring Jackie Robinson during the seventh inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Busch Stadium. Players and coaches are wearing number 42 in recognition of Jackie Robinson Day. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

"For the first time this season and the first time since joining the Cardinals’ organization as part of the Brendan Donovan trade, Jurrangelo Cijntje recorded an out from both sides of the mound," Ralph wrote.

Cijintje is a rare type of pitcher. It is not common to see somebody that can pitch from both sides of the mound. However, that is what makes him such an intriguing prospect and why the Cardinals targeted him.

He brings swing-and-miss capability, and though he has pitched mainly as a right-hander, he does have the ability to pitch as a left-hander, and he managed to accomplish a rare feat as a switch-pitcher earlier this week.

The switch-pitcher also struck out four batters and walked three in his latest outing, but there is a lot to be excited about with the team's No. 5 prospect. The Cardinals had to give up Donovan to get him, but he is one of the most exciting prospects within the organization and has a very high ceiling.

It's been a long time since the Cardinals have had multiple pitching prospects of that caliber. He and Liam Doyle are making strides down in Double-A, and that could help brighten the future for St. Louis as it continues to rebuild.

Perhaps soon, the Cardinals will be able to promote Cijintje to Triple-A and get him on the path to becoming a major leaguer. Being able to record outs from both sides of the mound will certainly help his case as the Cardinals focus on the future and accumulate as much young talent as possible.

The ceiling is high for Cijintje, and it will be interesting to see what the rest of his season looks like