Cardinals Phenom Just 1 Step From MLB After Triple-A Promotion

The St. Louis Cardinals are reportedly making a very intriguing move down in the minors.

Before the season began, the Cardinals traded utility man Brendan Donovan to the Seattle Mariners in a blockbuster swap. The deal has panned out very well for the Cardinals so far and was wrapped up over the weekend. The Cardinals acquired switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje, who is the club's No. 4 overall prospect, along with two Competitive Balance Round B picks (No. 68 and No. 72), No. 17 prospect Tai Peete and fellow outfielder Colton Ledbetter. Over the weekend, the Cardinals wrapped up the deal by picking outfielder Andrew Williamson out of Central Florida and pitcher Dawson Montesa out of West Virginia.

Overall, it was a great deal for the Cardinals. The big story of the weekend was the MLB Draft, but that's not all for St. Louis. Chase Ford of MiLB Central reported that the Cardinals are also promoting Jurrangelo Cijntje to Triple-A.

The Cardinals Have An Intriguing Hurler

Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje (87) throws a pitch during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"The St. Louis Cardinals are promoting SHP Jurrangelo Cijntje to Memphis (Triple-A)," Ford wrote. "Cijntje had a 5.04 ERA along with 100 strikeouts in 80.1 innings for the Springfield Cardinals."

The St. Louis Cardinals are promoting SHP Jurrangelo Cijntje to Memphis (Triple-A).

Cijntje had a 5.04 ERA along with 100 strikeouts in 80.1 innings for the Springfield Cardinals.#STLCards
— Chase Ford (@_chaseford) July 12, 2026

Cijntje has a 5.04 ERA on the season in 17 starts, but that doesn't tell the entire story about his season. Since May 16, Cijntje has logged a 4.41 ERA in 10 starts. Since June 23, he has logged a 3.92 ERA in 20 2/3 innings pitched. He's just getting better. He's allowed nine runs total since June 23, and six of them came in one outing on June 28. Cijntje has been racking up strikeouts left and right. Over his last four starts, he has 26 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings pitched.

Now, he's moving up to Triple-A and is just one step away from making the jump to the big leagues. It's just July 12. At this rate, if he can maintain his recent hot streak up in Triple-A, there's a real chance we see him in the majors by the end of the 2026 season. That's speculation, but the Cardinals have been working him along fairly quickly and he has responded over the course of the 2026 season.

If you're a Cardinals fan, you should be very excited right now. Cijntje has ace potential and is inching his way to the big leagues. Right now, the Cardinals' biggest weakness is the rotation. Matthew Liberatore is struggling overall. Eventually, the Cardinals are going to need to make a change and soon enough, Cijntje will be an option.

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