SEATTLE — It will be a few years before any Mariners catcher needs to handle Jurrangelo Cijntje (No. 7 prospect) behind the plate, but imagining how to manage a pitcher who can switch hands mid-inning is already a fascinating challenge.
“I’ve never even thought about it before,” Cal Raleigh said. “It’s very unique, different.”
Mitch Garver shared similar thoughts: “I really don’t know. It depends on how they use him—whether as a starter, long reliever—who knows? It could be interesting either way.”
Before looking ahead to how the Mariners’ pitching coaches will utilize their new ambidextrous pitcher—selected 15th overall in last month’s draft—it’s worth considering his experience with his previous team.
So, what’s it like to work with a switch-pitcher? Mississippi State pitching coach Justin Parker knows firsthand, having started working with Cijntje when he joined the team last summer, right after Cijntje’s challenging freshman season.
“I’m watching him in the fall, and I’m thinking about all the complexities—people think switch-pitching is just a cool story, but no, I’m watching him warm up twice,” Parker explained. “He’s doing two routines, two bullpens, training with our athletic trainer twice. It’s double everything.”
Cijntje credits some of his approach to Pat Venditte, the only full-time ambidextrous pitcher in MLB history. With two arms to manage, everything takes extra time.
Parker and the Mississippi State staff had to figure out the best way to use their unique talent. Cijntje’s abilities were eye-catching in 2023, but opponents still hit him hard, leading to an 8.10 ERA.
Parker’s first adjustment was moving Cijntje back in the rotation, allowing him to pitch the second or third game of SEC series. This gave both the staff and Cijntje the opportunity to observe opposing lineups in real-time.
They also adjusted their approach to his ambidextrous pitching. While conventional wisdom suggests pitching righty to right-handers and lefty to left-handers, Cijntje struggled with consistency when switching too often. Instead, he spent longer stretches pitching right-handed, sacrificing some favorable matchups for steadiness.
“That was part of our strategy early on—finding a couple of left-handed batters who were vulnerable to left-on-left matchups,” Parker said. “Then, I gave him the freedom to decide in-game whether to continue right or switch left. It was part of his growth, allowing him more control.”
When Venditte first entered the Yankees’ organization in 2008, he mostly pitched right-handed, even against lefties. By the time he made his MLB debut with Oakland in 2015, he had transitioned to a more matchup-focused approach, pitching with the side advantage in most of his appearances.
Parker sees Cijntje as equally effective pitching right-on-left or left-on-left. As a righty, Cijntje has better velocity, a broader arsenal, and slightly better command. As a lefty, he generates more sink for ground balls.
After signing with the Mariners, Cijntje headed to Arizona, where analysts, coaches, and coordinators are eager to develop this rare talent.
“They’ll have to figure out how to best use his pitches and match them against different hitters,” Garver said. “We’re great at using our best pitches in matchups. They’ll need to work out how to handle multiple lineups and switch-hitters, and that’s going to be interesting to see.”
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