The St. Louis Cardinals made several major moves this offseason, though not without sacrifice. The team parted ways with a number of veteran players, including Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, and Willson Contreras.
However, their most significant transaction was trading Brendan Donovan to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for a package highlighted by switch-pitching prospect . With that move, St. Louis significantly strengthened its farm system over the winter.
CBS Sports analyst RJ Anderson recently ranked Cijntje among the top prospects in baseball, offering high praise for the young pitcher. Anderson believes Cijntje has the potential to develop into a future ace.
Jurrangelo Cijntje shows signs of becoming a frontline starter in St. Louis.
Selected 15th overall by Seattle in the 2024 MLB Draft, Cijntje is widely recognized for his rare ability to pitch over 90 mph with either arm. He advanced to Double-A in his first full professional season, though his performance indicated his long-term future may be as a right-handed pitcher.
According to Anderson, Cijntje allowed a .618 OPS and posted nearly a 20% strikeout-minus-walk rate when pitching right-handed. In contrast, he struggled from the left side, giving up a 1.117 OPS and issuing more walks than strikeouts. Anderson suggested that while the switch-pitching novelty is intriguing, Cijntje’s right-handed arsenal — featuring a lively fastball and a swing-and-miss breaking ball — projects him as a potential mid-rotation starter.
There had been speculation that Cijntje would focus solely on pitching right-handed, but during his first workouts with the Cardinals, he displayed impressive velocity and sharp stuff from both sides. That versatility makes him one of the more fascinating young talents in baseball.
If Cijntje can develop consistency with both arms, he could quickly emerge as one of the game’s top young pitchers. Having the platoon advantage against hitters at all times would be a significant asset, particularly since many left-handed batters struggle against left-handed pitching.
Regardless, the Donovan trade appears to be one of St. Louis’ savvier moves this offseason, and the organization could begin seeing its impact in the near future.
