Seattle Mariners Select Never-Before-Seen Talent in MLB Draft
The Seattle Mariners have selected Mississippi State Jurrangelo Cijntje with the No. 15 pick in the MLB Draft on Sunday night.
Cijntje is the most fascinating player in this draft because he has a skillset unlike we've ever seen before: He can throw in the mid-90s with both his left hand and his right hand.
He was ranked as the No. 25 draft prospect by MLB.com. The following comes from a portion of his draft profile:
Evaluators say Cijntje has better stuff and projects as a Marcus Stroman-esque starter as a righty vs. profiling more as a reliever as a lefty. From the right side, he operates with a 94-96 mph fastball that tops out at 98 with carry up in the zone, and he backs it up with a mid-80s slider that reaches 91 with good depth and a slightly harder changeup with fade. As a southpaw, he works from a low slot with a sweepier low-80s breaking ball and a low-90s heater that doesn't miss many bats.
Cijntje is pitching right-handed against lefty hitters more often in 2024, and many scouts would like to see him do so full time. While his 5-foot-11 build creates questions about his long-term durability as a starter, he's strong and athletic. He has significantly improved his strike-throwing as a sophomore and could develop average control as he gains more experience.
While some people will Cjintje as a novelty, there's no doubt that he's an excellent player. In 16 starts for the Bulldogs in 2024, he went 8-2 with a 3.67 ERA. He struck out 113 batters in 90.2 innings.
The Mariners undoubtedly needed to add pitching depth to the system as seven of their top eight prospects are all position players, per Baseball America.
On ESPN's coverage of the draft, Cijntje said that getting drafted was "awesome," and he was excited to share this moment with his family. He said that if the Mariners will let him, he'd like to continue pitching with both hands.
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