Jurrangelo Cijntje Named MiLB Pitcher of the Week
The Cardinal Chronicle
Jurrangelo Cijntje Named Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Week
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
Jurrangelo Cijntje gave the Cardinals exactly the kind of outing that reminds everyone why his name carries so much weight and intrigue.
Cijntje, the switch-pitching right-hander for Double-A Springfield, is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Week after turning in six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts.
His weekly line was strong across the board: 6.0 innings, three hits, no runs, no earned runs, three walks, nine strikeouts, no home runs allowed, a 0.00 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP.
That will win a weekly honor.
Cijntje’s July 4 start against the Arkansas Travelers was one of the best pitching performances in the Cardinals’ system. He worked six shutout innings, allowed only three hits and missed bats all night. The walks kept the outing from being spotless, but the strikeout total and run prevention made it the clear standout performance of the week.
The Cardinals acquired Cijntje from the Seattle Mariners prior to the 2026 season as part of the Brendan Donovan trade, and his profile immediately became one of the most unique in the organization. A true switch-pitcher, Cijntje has the rare ability to throw with both arms, though the Cardinals have primarily focused his development around his higher-ceiling right-handed delivery.
That right-handed side was the story again this week.
Cijntje has had some uneven results this season at Double-A, with his ERA still carrying the weight of a few rough outings and stretches where the walks have hurt him. But the swing-and-miss has never disappeared. He leads all Cardinals minor leaguers in strikeouts and sits near the top of the Texas League leaderboard, giving the organization a high-upside arm with real bat-missing ability.
That is what makes this outing important.
It was not just six scoreless innings. It was six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts against Double-A competition, showing the kind of dominance that makes evaluators take another look. When Cijntje is around the strike zone and getting ahead, the stuff plays. The fastball has life, the breaking stuff misses bats, and hitters have a hard time getting comfortable.
He even mixed in his left-handed ability during the outing, facing two batters from the southpaw side and recording a groundout. That part of his game will always make him fascinating, but the larger developmental question remains the same: can he keep refining the command enough to let the stuff carry him forward?
This week, the answer looked encouraging.
Cijntje’s overall season still has some rough edges, but his best nights are starting to show what the Cardinals hoped they were getting — a power arm with uncommon athleticism, elite strikeout ability and enough uniqueness to make him one of the more compelling pitchers in the system.
The Cardinal Chronicle’s Pitcher of the Week honor goes to the arm that delivered the most dominant performance, and Cijntje earned it.
The Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Pitcher of the Week:
Jurrangelo Cijntje, Double-A Springfield
Weekly Line:
6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 K, 0 HR, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP
Why He Was Chosen:
Cijntje delivered six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts, allowing only three hits and no home runs. It was the most dominant pitching line of the week in the Cardinals’ minor-league system.
Old School Take:
There is no mystery here. Six shutout innings and nine strikeouts will get a pitcher noticed, whether he throws with one hand, two hands or both feet off the mound. Cijntje still has command work ahead of him, but when the stuff is in the zone, hitters do not look comfortable.
This past week, Jurrangelo Cijntje looked like the high-upside arm the Cardinals believed they were getting.
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
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Photo Credit: Jurrangelo Cijntje, Springfield Cardinals | MLB