EVERETT — Just two weeks after pitching an inning in the 2025 All-Star Futures Game, Jurrangelo Cijntje hit a new benchmark in his early professional career with the Everett AquaSox.
Allowing five hits, two earned runs and no walks against the Spokane Indians on Saturday, the 22-year-old switch-pitcher eclipsed seven innings in a start for the first time as a pro.
Cijntje had pitched six innings in a game just twice this season, but an efficient outing on Saturday allowed him to be stretched further than he had before. He had thrown just 61 pitches — 39 of them strikes — before returning to the mound for the seventh. He needed just 10 more pitches to get through that.
Jurrangelo Cijntje is back on the mound to start the 7th inning. He has not gone beyond 6 in any outing this season.
Aside from allowing a couple solo shots, he's been breezing through (39 strikes, 61 pitches)
Indians still lead 2-0
— Joe Pohoryles (@Joe_Poho) July 27, 2025
As the game went on, there was no thought about pitch count or stamina in Cijntje’s mind. His focus was simple.
“I’m just trying to pitch,” Cijntje said after the game. “I haven’t (thought) much about nothing. Just trying to pitch.”
Even with a new career-high in innings pitched, Cijntje realistically could have kept going even further into the game. He eclipsed 80 pitches in each of his previous two starts — tossing 5.2 innings against the Hillsboro Hops on July 19 and 4.2 against the Vancouver Canadians on July 5 — compared to throwing 71 on Saturday.
But as Cijntje entered the dugout after retiring Indians designated hitter Blake Wright with a groundout, AquaSox pitching coach Matt Carasiti was ready for him to clock out.
“We haven’t talked much, it was just, ‘You’re done. You did a good job,’” Cijntje said, recalling the brief exchange.
Aside from allowing two solo home runs, which gave Spokane a 2-0 lead before Everett rallied for a 3-2 walk-off win, Cijntje cruised through the Indians order. He induced 11 ground outs, and the Indians recorded multiple hits in a single inning just once, with two in the second.
Cijntje said he felt like what was throwing was “probably not my best stuff today,” particularly with breaking pitches, but he liked the effectiveness of his fastball.
In the eyes of AquaSox manager Zach Vincej, the reason behind Cijntje’s long but efficient outing boiled down to a one key reason.
“A lot of strikes, man,” Vincej said. “I mean, (Spokane was) swinging, they were aggressive, and they took advantage on a couple homers. I mean, he did an awesome job filling it up.”
Once Cijntje was done, Stefan Raeth pitched the eighth and Hunter Cranton pitched the ninth, collectively allowing three hits and striking out three batters to maintain the one-run deficit.
The duo needed just 29 total pitches to set the Everett bats up for the walk-off win, which leaves the bullpen “loaded” for Sunday’s series finale, according to Vincej.
“That gave us, our bullpen, a nice chance to win the game as well,” Vincej said. “It gives our bullpen a nice rest for the next day. … There’s a lot of different things that, like, it contributes to the team, and (Cijntje) did an awesome job tonight.”
After a “big league” experience in Atlanta two weeks ago, during which he got to attend the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game with his family in addition to playing in the Futures Game, Cijntje is looking to build off Saturday’s performance into the rest of the season.
Cijntje didn’t earn the decision on Saturday, but he kept the game close enough for Carter Dorighi to tie it, then win it, in the ninth inning.
“Just keep competing, even (without) the best stuff,” Cijntje said. “But just keep throwing strikes and just give your team the best possibility to win.”
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