Switch-pitcher Cijntje deals from both sides in Spring Breakout
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Jurrangelo Cijntje knew who’d be waiting for him in the batter’s box when he emerged from the visiting bullpen on Friday evening. The Mariners’ switch-pitcher had seen Guardians infielder Travis Bazzana recently at a card-signing event, to which they each joked, “I’m going to see you soon,”
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Jurrangelo Cijntje knew who’d be waiting for him in the batter’s box when he emerged from the visiting bullpen on Friday evening.
The Mariners’ switch-pitcher had seen Guardians infielder Travis Bazzana recently at a card-signing event, to which they each joked, “I’m going to see you soon,” knowing the likelihood of what eventually took place during MLB Spring Breakout at Goodyear Ballpark.
Pitching in his first true game-like environment since being selected in the first round of last summer’s MLB Draft, Cijntje knew that he’d be called upon Friday after lefty Brandyn Garcia. But he wasn’t quite sure he’d match up against Bazzana, who was taken 14 picks ahead of him at No. 1 overall and was batting in the No. 2 hole.
Sometimes in baseball, the stars align.
Cijntje, who was seen warming in the bullpen with both arms before Garcia worked out of a fourth-inning jam, opted to go left-on-left against Bazzana to start the fifth, inducing a hard-chopping groundout to shortstop Brock Rodden on the first pitch. Cijntje then flipped his glove over and pitched right-handed the rest of the way -- even against seven more left-handed hitters.
“There was a lot of adrenaline," said Cijntje, who is the Mariners’ No. 9 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. “I couldn’t even control my body, but I fought through it.”
📩 SUBSCRIBE TO THE BASEBALL TRAVELER NEWSLETTER
Fate brought Bazzana back to the batter’s box for Cijntje’s final at-bat of the night, which was even more fascinating.
Cijntje took off his glove between batters as if he was going to go lefty to Bazzana, as he did the first time, but he surprised most when he instead remained righty. Cijntje then blew a 97 mph elevated four-seam fastball by Bazzana for a swinging strike three in a punctuating conclusion to his night.
“That's something special,” said Bazzana, Cleveland’s No. 1 prospect and the No. 10 overall prospect in the game. “You don't really see that ever. I think he's got a bright future, and it was cool to battle.”
You don't see this every day. #SpringBreakout pic.twitter.com/BC6QmG43JR
— Mariners Player Development (@MsPlayerDev) March 15, 2025
So, Cijntje’s first pitch of the outing was also his final from the left side, given that Bazzana swung and made contact right away, while his 39 other pitches over two innings were thrown right-handed. In total, he surrendered one unearned run on two hits and two walks with two strikeouts.
“I was already in a rhythm, and I was like, ‘I'm going to keep throwing from my right side,” Cijntje said.
There was also awe from his teammates.
“Dude, stop it,” said Mariners No. 12 prospect Tai Peete, who went 3-for-3 with a 422-foot homer and a stolen base while playing center field. “I thought it was funny when he switched on the mound and everyone started cheering.”
The decision-making calculus for Cijntje to go right vs. left on Friday hinted at how the Mariners will leverage his ambidextrous skill set as he embarks on his player-development path.
Seattle intends to develop Cijntje as a right-handed starter, which is his better pitching arm and possesses a denser arsenal that features a higher-velocity four-seamer, slider, cutter and changeup. But the Mariners also don’t want to sacrifice his lefty skill, because there is plus potential from that side, where he’s up to 93 mph with a sinker/slider combo.
“It's going to be development-based more than matchup-based,” Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said. “Obviously, you want to put him in positions to succeed, and I don't think we want to put him in positions where he's pitching to a lot of right-handed hitters left-handed. But I do think we're all in alignment that he needs to develop right-handed to work against the platoon matchup. It can't be every left-handed hitter that comes up.”
There will be expected fluidity to Cijntje’s routine.
The early plan is for him to start righty, and he may pitch left-on-left within that start but probably not all of them. Then in his in-between side session, which would come three days later, he’d do so right-handed, then pitch an inning in relief while left-handed in whatever game falls on that same day.
“There is not a blueprint here at all,” Hollander said. “We want to be honest. We don't want to talk confidently about how we definitely know the right answer here, because we definitely don't know the right answer. And I'm sure we'll have to make adjustments along the way.”
The Mariners have an idea of which Minor League affiliate that Cijntje will begin the season with, but they haven’t yet told him. His goal is to reach Double-A Arkansas by season’s end.
There will certainly be learning curves along the way, but his fascinating path to the Majors got started in a Breakout way on Friday night.
Daniel Kramer covers the Mariners for MLB.com.
Penn State Baseball Set To Play Xavier in Harrisburg On May 16
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State baseball’s game against Xavier on Friday, May 16 is set to be played at FNB Field in Harrisburg. FNB Field is the home of the Double-A Harrisburg Senators, affiliate of the Washington Nationals. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Tickets for the matchup
Senators Launch Silver Sluggers Membership Presented By Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Mechanicsburg
Harrisburg, PA - The Harrisburg Senators, in partnership with Encompass Health, are launching a new ticket membership for fans 55 years old and up. The membership is $60 and comes with a Box Seat ticket to five games of members’ choosing, a membership card, and two exclusive Silver Sluggers events
FNB Field Job Fair Saturday, February 22
The Harrisburg Senators, the Double-A affiliate Washington Nationals, are hosting their annual FNB Field Job Fair on Saturday, February 22 at FNB Field. The Senators and their food service partners, Oak View Group, are hiring part-time and game day seasonal employees. The job fair runs from 10 a.m. until 1
Harrisburg Senators Announce 2025 Field Staff
HARRISBURG, PA. - The Washington Nationals have announced that Delino DeShields will return to lead the Senators in their 38th season in their modern history. Pitching coach Rigo Beltrán, hitting coach Jeff Livesey and defensive coach Oscar Salazar return to the Senators. Rounding out the staff are trainer Don Neidig,
Lawson Delivers in Sens’ 4-2 Comeback Win in Season Finale
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Senators 4 Reading 2 SUMMARY The Harrisburg Senators defeated the Reading Fightin Phils 4-2 in comeback fashion Sunday afternoon at FNB Field to end the season. Harrisburg trailed 2-0 until the Sens rallied for four runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to take the
Sens Blanked 4-0 Saturday Afternoon
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Reading 4 Senators 0 SUMMARY The Harrisburg Senators were shut out by the Reading Fightin Phils 4-0 Saturday afternoon at FNB Field. The game was gridlocked at 0-0 until Reading took a 1-0 lead in the 5th. It remained a 1-0 game until Reading added three
Witt Homers in Sens’ 5-2 Win Friday Night
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Senators 5 Reading 2 SUMMARY The Harrisburg Senators defeated the Reading Fightin Phils 5-2 Friday night at FNB Field. The Sens took an early 3-0 lead with two runs in the 2nd and a run in the 4th. Reading got on the board with two runs
Lile Homers in Sens’ 3-1 Loss
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Reading 3 Senators 1 SUMMARY The Harrisburg Senators fell to the Reading Fightin Phils 3-1 Thursday night at FNB Field. Both teams scored single runs in the 1st inning before Reading took the lead with another run in the 2nd, then tacked on another in the
Sens Shut Out 3-0 Wednesday Night
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Reading 3 Senators 0 SUMMARY The Harrisburg Senators were shut out by the Reading Fightin Phils 3-0 Wednesday night at FNB Field. Reading took a 1-0 lead in the 3rd inning, then added two more runs to make it a 3-0 lead in the 8th. The
Sens Hang On For 5-4 Win
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Senators 5 Reading 4 SUMMARY The Harrisburg Senators hung on to defeat the Reading Fightin Phils 5-4 Tuesday night at FNB Field. The Sens had built up a 5-0 lead by the end of the 7th inning before Reading rallied for four runs in the 8th
Sens Rally Late Again for 7-3 Win in Road Finale
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Senators 7 Bowie 3 SUMMARY The Harrisburg Senators rallied late to defeat the Bowie Baysox 7-3 Sunday afternoon at Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie. Bowie took an initial 2-0 lead with single runs in the 2nd and 4th innings before the Sens tied the game at
Sens Fall 3-1 Saturday Night
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Bowie 3 Senators 1 SUMMARY The Harrisburg Senators fell to the Bowie Baysox 3-1 Saturday night at Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie. The Baysox were in control for much of the game as they scored two runs in the 3rd and one in the 5th to
Sens Rally in 10th for 6-3 Win Friday Night
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Senators 6 Bowie 3 SUMMARY The Harrisburg Senators defeated the Bowie Baysox 6-3 in 10 innings Friday night at Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie. The Sens led 3-0 after they scored two runs in the 2nd inning and another in the 5th. However, Bowie’s offense came
Harris Drives in Two, but Sens Fall 8-3 in Bowie
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Bowie 8 Senators 3 SUMMARY The Harrisburg Senators fell to the Bowie Baysox 8-3 Thursday night at Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie. The Senators had taken a 3-2 lead in the top of the 5th inning before Bowie scored four runs in their half of the
Sens Erase Early Deficit Again for 7-5 Win
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Senators 7 Bowie 5 SUMMARY For the second night in a row the Harrisburg Senators rallied from an early deficit as they defeated the Bowie Baysox 7-5 Wednesday night at Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie. Bowie took a 3-0 lead in the 1st inning thanks to
Morales Makes the Difference in Sens’ 5-2 Win
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Senators 5 Bowie 2 SUMMARY The Harrisburg Senators rallied to defeat the Bowie Baysox 5-2 Tuesday night at Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie. Bowie took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st, but the Senators evened the score with single runs in the
Sens Fall 9-1 in Series Finale Sunday
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Portland 9 Senators 1 SUMMARY The Harrisburg Senators fell to the Portland Sea Dogs 9-1 Sunday afternoon at FNB Field. Portland began the scoring with a five-run 3rd inning and didn’t look back, while the Senators scored their lone run in the 5th inning. The Sens
4th-Inning Rally Lifts Sens to 7-5 Win
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Senators 7 Portland 5 SUMMARY The Harrisburg Senators defeated the Portland Sea Dogs 7-5 Saturday night at FNB Field. Portland led 2-1 before the Senators scored five runs in the 4th inning to take a 6-2 lead. Portland made it a one-run game with two runs
De La Rosa Homers in Sens' 6-3 Loss Friday Night
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Portland 6 Senators 3 SUMMARY The Harrisburg Senators fell to the Portland Sea Dogs 6-3 Friday night at FNB Field. The Senators took an early 2-0 lead before Portland took a 4-2 lead by the 5th inning. The Senators made it a 4-3 game in the
Sens’ Bats Silenced in 8-0 Loss
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Portland 8 Senators 0 SUMMARY The Harrisburg Senators were shut out by the Portland Sea Dogs 8-0 Thursday night at FNB Field. Portland took the early lead with three runs in the 1st inning and didn’t look back as the Portland pitching staff held the Sens
Hassell III and De La Rosa Homer in Sens’ 3-1 Win
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Senators 3 Portland 1 SUMMARY The Harrisburg Senators defeated the Portland Sea Dogs 3-1 Wednesday night at FNB Field. The Senators took a 2-0 lead with solo home runs in both the 3rd and 4th innings, then tacked on an insurance run thanks to a passed
Sens’ Bats Erupt in 11-4 Win
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Senators 11 Portland 4 SUMMARY The Harrisburg Senators defeated the Portland Sea Dogs 11-4 Tuesday night at FNB Field. The Senators jumped on top early with four runs in the 2nd inning, then built up to 11 runs as they scored in four consecutive innings from
Hassell’s Hustle Helps Sens Pull Off 3-2 Extra-Inning Win Again
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Senators 3 Akron 2 SUMMARY The Harrisburg Senators defeated the Akron RubberDucks 3-2 in 10 innings Sunday afternoon at Canal Park in Akron. The Sens scored first on an Andrew Pinckney home run in the 1st inning, then Akron scored two runs in the 3rd to
Sens Fall 4-3 in Walk-Off Fashion Saturday Night
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Akron 4 Senators 3 SUMMARY The Harrisburg Senators fell 4-3 in walk-off fashion to the Akron RubberDucks Saturday night at Canal Park in Akron. After Dayan Frías hit a triple with one out in the bottom of the 9th, Guy Lipscomb hit a walk-off single to
Sens Outlast Akron for 3-2 Win in 10 Innings
HARRISBURG SENATORS POSTGAME NOTES Senators 3 Akron 2 SUMMARY The Harrisburg Senators defeated the Akron RubberDucks 3-2 in 10 innings Friday night at Canal Park in Akron. In the top of the 5th inning the Senators scored two runs on a two-run single off the bat of J.T. Arruda, and