You’ve heard of switch hitters. They’re valuable, albeit niche, tools in the major leagues. A guy that can rake from both sides of the plate is a nightmare for opposing pitching staffs and brings a ton of versatility to any lineup or bench. Until now, that chameleon-like skill set has been exclusively reserved for the offensive side of the diamond … yes, we said until now.
That’s ambidextrous Mississippi State freshman Jurrangelo Cijntje making his college debut this week. Cijntje went four innings, allowed one hit and one walk while chalking up seven Ks. As you may have noticed, he did so pitching BOTH left and right handed. Remember how we all freaked out when we heard about this kid named Ohtani who could one day contend for both Cy Youngs and batting titles? Yeah, well, start freaking out.
Bookmark this video. Screengrab it. Send it to your friends. Do whatever you gotta do. Even if Cijntje doesn't materialize into a big-league pitcher—there’s a longggg way between an SEC bump and an MLB hill—the game, as they say, done changed. Just the idea that the human body can throw a baseball with equal accuracy and velocity via either arm is going to have budding baseball dads training their kids from the womb. Aspiring pitchers from Santo Domingo to Seoul will be grinding day and night. Cijntje might be the first, but he certainly won’t be the last.
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