Top switch pitching prospect shows off incredible skills

Cijntje prefers pitching right-handed, and opted to go that route against nine of the ten batters he faced. That included seven left-handers, even though he had the ability to switch arms and face them left-on-left.

Notably, Cijntje faced Travis Bazzana, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, twice during his outing. The first time they faced off, Cijntje faced Bazzana as a lefty, but then struck him out with a 97 MPH fastball as a right-hander the second time.

“I was already in a rhythm, and I was like, ‘I’m going to keep throwing from my right side,” Cijntje said, via Daniel Kramer of MLB.com.

Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said during Friday’s broadcast that the Mariners intend to use Cijntje primarily as a right-handed starter who could also switch sides. He could also operate as a left-handed reliever between starts.

In total, Cijntje completed two innings, allowing two hits and an unearned run with two walks and two strikeouts.

Baseball has seen switch pitchers before, most famously Pat Venditte. Cijntje throws harder than Venditte, however, and is a more complete prospect. He started to garner attention as a freshman at Mississippi State, and was ultimately taken with the No. 15 overall pick in last year’s draft. The 21-year-old is likely a few years away from a possible MLB debut, but if the Mariners nurture his talent properly, he could be a legitimate game-changer.