Pat Venditte became a brief sensation in Major League Baseball as an ambidextrous relief pitcher. Thanks to Mississippi State Bulldogs starting pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje, we could only be a few years away from a switch pitcher in a rotation.
Cijinte is a 5-foot-11 freshman who signed with Mississippi State out of Champagnat Catholic High School. MLB teams wanted him straight out of high school, with the Milwaukee Brewers drafting him with the 552nd overall pick in the 2022 MLB Amateur Draft,
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Milwaukee knew signing the ambidextrous starting pitcher was extremely unlikely. He flashed outstanding potential at the draft combine, but made it clear to MLB teams that he was committed to the Bulldogs.
- Jurrangelo Cijntje stats: 5 IP, 8-1 K-BB, 2-0 record, .167 batting average allowed
Months later, the 19-year-old took the mound for his first start since enrolling at Mississippi State. He pitched four shutout innings, racking up seven strikeouts on just 75 pitches with two base runners allowed. Facing the University of Louisiana Monroe, the freshman tore through the lineup with multiple 90-plus mph fastballs both throwing southpaw and right-handed.
It’s a fantastic showing from a pitcher who MLB teams believed profiled better long-term at shortstop. Cijntje has displayed a good command around the strike zone and hasn’t allowed a single extra-base hit to any of the 20 batters faced through his first two appearances.
As captured by Pitching Ninja, the overlay of Cijntje throwing from both sides on the mound is something truly rare. Of note, per Friedman, is that Cijntje uses an ambidextrous glove with six fingers.
Cijntje is eligible for the 2025 MLB Draft, so we won’t see him pitching in one of the best MLB stadiums anytime soon. With three years of development and what he is already displaying, though, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he one day makes his major-league debut. If that happens, Cijntje could become the first switch starting pitcher in MLB history.