It’s one of those things that sounds impressive and slightly impossible but is still even more marvelous than you’re expecting: the ambidextrous pitcher.
Mariners prospect Jurrangelo Cijntje is exactly that, capable of throwing in the mid-90s with his right arm and his left arm. You have to see it to believe it.
Cijntje got the chance to show off his remarkable talent on Friday night as part of MLB’s Spring Breakout exhibition, which showcases some of the league’s top prospects against one another.
He showed off his magic in back-to-back pitches.
First, he threw a 92-mile per hour pitch lefty to Guardians No. 1 overall pick in 2024, Travis Bazzana, and induced a groundout.
Then, Cijntje threw strike one to the following batter as a 95-mile per hour fastball, right-handed.
92 MPH lefty one pitch
95 MPH righty the next oneJurrangelo Cijntje is electric ⚡️ #SpringBreakout pic.twitter.com/sZy7Tmlu3A
— MLB (@MLB) March 15, 2025
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The Mariners took Cijntje 18th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Mississippi State. He didn’t make his pro debut after signing and will instead do so this spring as Seattle takes care to protect Cijntje’s talented arms.
Baseball Prospectus is the only major service to rank Cijntje as a top-100 prospect coming into the season, at No. 91.
It does seem in some ways like there could be more margin for error to Cijntje, who could always focus more on pitching with one arm if the development from one side lags. But the Mariners seem content to let him try both for the time being.
There has been an ambidextrous pitcher in MLB this century, Oakland’s Pat Venditte. But he was more of a sidewinding, finesse pitcher. Cijntje, in comparsion, can really bring it.
He might be a long way from the big leagues, but everywhere he pitches, he’ll catch the eye when he swaps his glove hand to gain a platoon advantage every time a new hitter comes to the plate.
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