In the second round, the Mariners selected high-school pitcher Ryan Sloan with the 55th overall selection. It was a surprise that Sloan was available at that spot as he was ranked the No. 19 draft prospect by MLB.com and No. 26 by Baseball America.
Szentje has been known to pitch left-handed and right-handed and said he would like to continue pitching with both hands.
“They said they would let me make the decisions and I would like to be on both sides,” he said.
The 21-year-old Sijantje was 8-2 with a 3.67 earned run average last season, with 111 strikeouts and 30 walks in 90 2/3 innings. He was ranked the No. 25 draft prospect by MLB.com and No. 24 by Baseball America.
“He’s obviously a unique athlete and a kid who speaks five languages,” said Scott Hunter, the Mariners’ senior director of amateur scouting. “This is a fun player. We will sit with him and see how he wants to attack it. But one big advantage is that it does both.”
Although he is naturally a lefty, he throws a more right-handed fastball, reaching 97 to 98 mph, said Hunter, who added that Szentje has a plus-slider and a changeup and curve. Will also throw.
“The changeup wasn’t used much during the year, but it’s something that could be leveled up for a guy who can throw 98 miles per hour and get the ball to both sides of the plate and obviously “He can swing the baseball the way he can,” Hunter said. “We really believe he will thrive in the program we have already set for our pitchers.”
Hunter said Szentje, who stands 5 feet 10 and 200 pounds, can throw a left-handed ball 93 mph.
“He’s probably a little more crisp with the right hand, just because he uses it more with the left hand,” Hunter said. “But I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything in my lifetime in scouting, where let alone as a player, someone can pick up a baseball in the middle of an inning, and go right, ‘I’ll throw 93 miles per. Now the bell with my left hand,’ and he can do that.”
Szentje said his best pitch for lefties is his slider, but he also mentioned his sinker.
“From the right side, I would say my slider is my best (pitch) right now, but I think my changeup might be better than my slider,” he said.
To be like his father Mechanjlo, who played professionally in the Netherlands, Szentje started throwing right-handed at the age of 6.
Jurrangelo Szentje grew up in Curaçao and played in the 2016 Little League World Series. He moved to Miami when he was 16 and was drafted by Milwaukee in the 18th round of the 2022 MLB draft out of Champaign Catholic High School, but chose to play for Mississippi State.
Szentje was 3-5 with an 8.10 ERA as a freshman in 2023, but he took big strides this season and was named a second-team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Perfect Game.
Sijantje was also on the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll each of his two years in college.
“Two years ago, I was taken in the 18th round,” he said. “Today was the first round. So I think that helped me get into college.”
Szentje said he began following the Mariners after having good conversations with team officials at the MLB Draft Combine last month.
“I want to say thank you to them,” Sijantje said. “I’m grateful for them for giving me this opportunity and I’m ready to get to work.”
According to Hunter, the 6-foot-5 and 220-pound Sloan has a fastball that typically clocks in around 95 to 96 mph, and “some of our scouts had him up to 100 last year.”
Sloan, who has committed to Wake Forest, had an ERA of 0.39 in 46 2/3 innings last season for York Community High School in Elm Hurst, Illinois. He struck out 90 and walked five times and was named Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year.
“We’re excited to have two opening day selections that we thought were first-round talents,” Hunter said. “If you can see a high-school pitcher dreaming of being No. 1 or No. 2 in the rotation at the major-league level, it’s worth (the risk).”
Hunter didn’t seem too concerned about getting Sloan signed.
“When I talked to him on FaceTime he was already wearing a Mariners hat,” Hunter said. “So I think we’re in a pretty good place.”
The draft will continue for the next two days. Rounds 3 to 10 will be held on Monday and rounds 11 to 20 will be held on Tuesday.
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