Cardinals Prospect Jurrangelo Cijintje Accomplishes Rare Feat in Latest Start

Cijintje was acquired in the Brendan Donovan trade.

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 tore down their roster this past offseason and traded away several veterans to rebuild for the future. Brendan Donovan was one of the four that was shipped out, and in exchange, the Cardinals landed a haul of prospects from the Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners.

The headliner in that deal was switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijintje, who is now the No. 4 prospect in the Cardinals pipeline.

On Saturday afternoon, Cijintje made a start for the Springfield Cardinals, St. Louis' Double-A affiliate and he accomplished a rare feat, striking out Wichita Wind Surge outfielder Garrett Spain twice, but once with each hand.

Cardinals prospect accomplishes rare feat

Sep 11, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; A detailed view of the 9/11 ribbon on a St. Louis Cardinals hat in the dugout before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Cijintje struck out six batters on Saturday, allowing three runs on three hits and walking two batters. While the numbers weren't great, he still accomplished an impressive feat.

It certainly has been a long time since the Cardinals have had a pitching prospect of this caliber. He and Liam Doyle are the team's top two pitching prospects, and both have shown a lot of promise.

But this is a huge step forward for Cijintje, who struggled in the month of April. Instead of the struggles piling up, he settled into a groove in May.

The 23-year-old switch-pitcher is 3-2 with a 5.21 ERA in 10 starts this season, but obviously showed a lot of promise in his last start. Chaim Bloom certainly did a good job in making sure he brought back the best possible prospects for Donovan. Cijintje was the headliner in that deal, and while the Cardinals may not be done making deals, this was a big step forward, and despite some early struggles, he is showing a lot of promise and proving his worth as one of their top pitching prospects.

It may be a while before the Cardinals are true contenders again. However, Cijintje has a chance to be a part of a very exciting young team in the near future. The big-league club is already performing well this season, but the future is bright for the Cardinals for the first time in several years, and Cijintje is a big reason as to why.

It will be interesting to see what the future looks like in St. Louis, but he will be a big part of it. Bloom did a good job landing some top prospects, and fans will soon have a reason to be excited about the team.