Cardinals Prized Switch-Pitching Prospect Promoted to Triple-A Memphis
Switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje, the No. 4-ranked prospect in the Cardinals' Minor League system, was promoted from Double-A Springfield to Triple-A Memphis, per reports. Cijntje has had two of his best outings of the season in July.
Video Transcript
Darangelo St. Ja, the switch pitcher that the Cardinals acquired last February in a trade for Brendan Donovan, is headed to AAA.
St. Ja certainly has good timing.
His best two outings of the season have come in the last two in July, earning him a promotion from AA Springfield to AAA Memphis.
I'm John Denton with Roundtable Sports.
St. Ja so far this season is three and four with a five O four ERA, in 17 starts.
He's pitched 80.1 innings and has struck out 100 while walking 40.
Here's one part that might be troubling to some.
He's given up 14 home runs, but in the Texas League, it's known to be a hitter-friendly league, so that shouldn't be so alarming.
And the, you know, the five point O four ERA, that's probably a product also of, you know, pitching in a league where, where hitters are mostly favored.
The ball flies in those ballparks in Texas.
So St. Ja has lived up the potential so far.
He is mostly known throughout all of baseball as the switch pitcher.
So far this season, he's faced 23 hitters-- 22 hitters, I'm sorry, as a left-hander.
He's, most of his pitching has all been against, as a right-hander, but he has faced 22 hitters as a left-hander.
He faced one right-hander while pitching left-handed and walked him.
He's faced 21 left-handed hitters while pitching left-handed.
He's held them to three of 13, six base on balls, five strikeouts, and no home runs.
So he's neutralized left-handers while occasionally pitching as a left-hander.
He's told the Cardinals that he likes to train both arms because it makes him feel more complete.
So he likes to have that, that in his holster, no doubt about it.
St. Ja has been at his best this season, i- in tight spots.
This season with runners in scoring position, he's held hitters to a 190 batting average, and he's had 33 strikeouts with runners in scoring position.
Listen to what he's done in his last two outings.
We mentioned good timing earlier.
July 4th, six innings, three hits, no earned runs, nine strikeouts against Arkansas.
Then he went on the road 10, six days later, July 10th, six innings, four hits, two earned runs.
He did give up a home run, but he struck out eight more batters and walked one at Tulsa on July 10th.
So two of his best outings of the season have, come, you know, here in July.
He was very mediocre, had a high ERA, a lot of walks in June, but he's really bounced back nicely in July.
St. Ja is 23 years old.
He was born in the Netherlands.
His father was a Major League His father was a professional pitcher.
He's naturally a l- a left-hander, but he would put his father's glove on and try to teach himself how to pitch right-handed.
But now he projects primarily as a starter in the big leagues as a right-hander and maybe as a, a reliever as a left-hander.
So his future is definitely, throwing right-handed.
So he's headed to Memphis.
He will join Mason, Mason Molina there.
Molina is a pitcher that the Cardinals acquired last July from the Texas Rangers in a trade for reliever Phil Maton.
He was recently promoted on June 30th from Springfield to Memphis.
So now St. Ja, one of the biggest, prospects, number four ranked prospect in all of the Cardinals system, is headed to AAA.
We'll see how he does, going forward.
Memphis is not back into action until Friday night when they host the Iowa Cubs.
I'm John Denton with Roundtable Sports.
