Minor League Baseball

MLB Insider Has Disappointing Take on Seattle Mariners Switch-Pitching Prospect

Jurrangelo Cijntje's ability to switch pitch is all the rage, but Jim Callis of MLB.com says he'd be even better if he just focused on pitching right-handed.
Brady Farkas|
Mississippi State Bulldogs welcome in pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje (50) after a half inning on the mound against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium on May 23, 2024.
Mississippi State Bulldogs welcome in pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje (50) after a half inning on the mound against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium on May 23, 2024. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

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Seattle Mariners

MLB.com prospect insider Jim Callis issued a disappointing opinion on Seattle Mariners' switch-pitching prospect Jurrangelo Cijntje.

Answering a question in a newsletter, Callis said that Cijntje would be a better prospect if he focused exclusively on throwing with his right hand.

As a righty, Cijntje looks like someone who can fit in the front half of a rotation. As a lefty, he looks likes a relief specialist. From the right side, he has a better fastball, a better slider and a changeup that can help him get left-handers out even with the platoon disadvantage.

Any time that Cijntje spends working on pitching as a lefty detracts from him maximizing his talent as a righty. Switch-pitching is fun, but winning matters more in the long run.

Cijntje, 21, is one of nine Mariners players on the MLB Pipeline Top 100, the most of any team in baseball. He stands alongside Colt Emerson, Lazaro Montes, Cole Young, Jonny Farmelo, Felnin Celesten, Harry Ford, Ryan Sloan and Michael Arroyo on that list. The Mariners selected him in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Mississippi State. Switch-pitching is not just a gimmick for him, it's been a huge part of his repertoire to this point.

Currently playing at High-A Everett, he's gone 2-2 with a 5.27 ERA this season. He's started nine games, relieving in three others as a lefty. He's struck out 30 batters in 27.1 innings. Opponents are hitting just .196 off him.

He was supposed to pitch on Saturday night, but the game has been postponed.

At the big-league level, the Mariners will take on the San Diego Padres on Saturday at 5:40 p.m. PT.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is the senior writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and the host of “The Payoff Pitch’’ podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. Follow Brady on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.

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