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Cardinals’ Ambidextrous Pitching Prospect Remains An Intriguing Anomaly

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports | By Ryan Boman | Last updated Mar 16, 2026 12:43 PM ET

The hand we use for most tasks in our day-to-day lives, or ‘handedness,’ is a scientific phenomenon that represents the physical manifestation of brain lateralization, where asymmetry in the cerebrum naturally assigns a person’s dominant, physical side. While they may learn to do tasks that go against the grain, it’s an unnatural process.

Cardinals’ Ambidextrous Pitching Prospect Remains an Intriguing Anomaly

In the meantime? Some people are so ‘one-handed’ in life that they can’t do basic things, like eat or brush their teeth, with their opposite side. So, someone being so ambidextrous that they can hurl a horsehide at the big-league level, with both arms, seems downright preposterous. That is, unless you are St. Louis Cardinals‘ switch-pitching prospect, Jurrangelo Cijntjie.

The 22-year-old Cijntjie was acquired by St. Louis on Feb 2, in the influential trade that saw infielder Brendan Donovan sent to the Mariners. At the time, he was already being touted heading into Spring Training, due to his ability to fire the ball from both his port and starboard sides.

The Cardinals are acquiring SWITCH pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje from Seattle in the deal for Donovan.

(via @Joelsherman1) pic.twitter.com/XF2G5ltafm

— SleeperSTLCards (@SleeperSTL) February 2, 2026

The 5’11”, 200-pound pitcher was Seattle’s first-round pick (15th overall) of the 2024 MLB Draft, out of Mississippi State University. Cijntje was named a second-team All-American after finishing the 2024 season with an 8–2 record and 3.67 ERA, along with 113 strikeouts in 90.2 innings pitched in 16 outings.

In 2025, he established himself as a switch-pitcher for both High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas, and had a combined 5-7 record, a 3.99 ERA, and 120 strikeouts in 108.1 innings. Notably, he also took a no-hitter into the sixth inning during a game in mid-May. And while he wasn’t given much chance to make the Opening Day roster, he still has Cards’ fans marveling at the potential of having a double-barreled dealer on the mound.

Jurrangelo Cijntjie: Catching on with the Cardinals

The Cardinals’ coaching staff originally encouraged Cijntjie to focus more on throwing from the right side. While he has had success as a southpaw, he’s got better velocity and more dominant stuff when he does that 180-degree turn on the hill. At the same time, the idea of him showcasing his versatility at some stage in his career hasn’t been completely written off. He still throws batting practice with his off hand, and the young pitcher seems like he could live up to his unicorn status.

“I want to do this at the highest level,” Cijntjie stated, according to a May 2025 MLB.com report. “My goal is to be a both-handed starting pitcher in MLB.”

It wouldn’t be totally unheard of, either. In Major League Baseball history, the uniqueness of being able to pitch effectively with both arms is still rare, but it’s not totally new. Former players Pat Verditte and Eric Show are examples of players from baseball’s modern era who have accomplished the feat in an MLB game.

Within a couple of years, there’s a good bet that Cijntje will do the same, becoming the first switch-pitcher in the Cardinals’ celebrated franchise history. And that would be an unusually unique accomplishment, no matter where it’s being delivered from.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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