Grading the Cardinals' last 5 first round draft picks

2021: RHP Michael McGreevy, 18th overall

The talk around St. Louis is not if but when Michael McGreevy will move into the MLB rotation full time after the continued struggles of Erick Fedde. When a prospect appears to be knocking on the door of a role in the majors, one would think that means that pick was made well. This is the case for the low-risk selection with McGreevy in 2021.

McGreevy was not selected in the draft out of high school and took his talents to UC Santa Barbara, where he was a bullpen option as a freshman. He performed well in his first year and earned First-Team All-Conference honors before moving to the rotation for four starts in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Always able to command the zone, McGreevy took hold of the Friday night starting spot with UCSB and demonstrated a nice four-pitch mix that made him look like a safe rotation option for a big league club.

The Cardinals selected him 18th overall and signed him to a below-slot deal. They then sent him to get 7.2 innings of professional work before shutting him down for the season. McGreevy then progressed through the lower level of the minors very quickly and made it all the way to Triple-A Memphis in the 2023 season as a 22-year-old. His progression as a starter continued in 2024 as he worked a career-high 150 innings, and he received the opportunity for his MLB debut thanks to the Cardinals' lost season. In 23 major league innings, McGreevy went 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA and made fans believe he was ticketed for a rotation spot in the near future despite never being viewed as a frontline starting prospect.

As McGreevy has surpassed 500 innings in the minor leagues, there does not appear to be much more for him to prove in order for him to become a rotation fixture. However, the Cardinals' current lack of accountability in the rotation has not opened up that spot for him, but he has made four appearances in 2025. He continues to display great command of the strike zone and has a good enough strikeout rate to be a mid-rotation starter in the very near future. His age, durability to this point, and contract situation should allow him to become that option for St. Louis next season if nothing opens up for him this year. If any injuries, trades, or subtractions were to happen to the Cardinal pitching staff, McGreevy will very likely be the first name up from Memphis to take hold of a roster spot for the remainder of the year.

Players still on the board after McGreevy: P Jordan Wicks, P Gavin Williams, P Chase Petty, SS Colson Montgomery, OF Jackson Merrill

Overall grade: B+. McGreevy has done everything to show he can be a capable starting pitcher in the majors. He lacks the overpowering strikeout stuff, but his command of his secondary pitches gives him a high floor. The other pitchers selected behind McGreevy in the first round have not taken off at the MLB level.