The Legacy of Mississippi State’s Jurrangelo Cijntje: Exploring Baseball’s Switch-Pitchers Through History

Cleveland Guardians soon to make the No. 1 overall pick in MLB Draft in franchise history. Jurrangelo Cijntje, a switch-pitcher out of Mississippi State, is not in consideration for the top pick, but is still an intriguing prospect. CBS Sports ranks him as the 14th best in the class. Throughout baseball history, switch-pitchers have been rare. Pitchers such as Tony Mullane, Larry Corcoran, and “Ice Box” Chamberlain had careers prior to 1900 but haven’t seen it since. Jorge Rubio experimented with using switch-pitching while playing in winter ball but never did in a major league game. Greg A. Harris switch-pitched during an MLB game in 1995. Pat Venditte used switch-pitching to have a successful career, making 61 MLB appearances. Ryan Perez and Brandon Berdoll also made headlines as switch-pitchers in the amateur ranks. Cijntje could join a select group of switch-pitchers if he continues to develop his skills in the professional league. The MLB Draft will give teams the opportunity to take a chance on the rare talent that switch-pitchers offer, and it remains to be seen whether Cijntje will be one of those players selected early on.

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