Michael McGreevy only has a handful of Starts in the Majors but he just might be THE guy.
The St. Louis Cardinals might be shifting into rebuild mode, but for rookie Michael McGreevy, that’s been nothing but an open door to show what he can do. And so far, he’s breezing right through it and settling in nicely in the starting rotation. He’s still technically a rookie, but could he one day be the Cardinals’ next staff ace?
The trade deadline saw the Cardinals deal away Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz, and Phil Maton, then ship Erick Fedde to the Atlanta Braves (for a sack of baseballs and nobody to be named later). Fedde’s departure didn’t bring back a headline prospect, but it did create something far more valuable in the short term: a full-time rotation spot for McGreevy. And the 24-year-old is making the most of it.
Ask the Rockies and the Cubs
Against the Colorado Rockies, McGreevy looked like a guy who belongs. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch praised how the rookie executed a game plan straight out of veteran Miles Mikolas’ scouting report—using Colorado’s aggressive approach against them. McGreevy faced the minimum through the first three innings, mixing two strikeouts with plenty of soft contact. A slick caught-stealing from Pedro Pages and solid defense behind him helped keep the line clean early.
While the final box score wasn’t his sharpest outing of the year, it showed exactly the type of pitcher McGreevy is becoming—efficient, composed, and able to keep the ball in play without giving up too much damage. He didn’t dominate, but he kept St. Louis in position to win. Unfortunately, the bullpen couldn’t hold it, and the Cards fell 6-5. And did I mention McGreevy kept the Cubs scoreless for six innings in the game before that?
The Sample Size is Small, but he could so be the Staff Ace
Michael McGreevy may just be getting started, but the numbers say he’s already making his mark. In two big league seasons, the right-hander owns a 7-2 record with a 3.65 ERA across 74 innings. He’s struck out 46 batters while keeping walks to just nine, good for a stellar 5.11 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His 1.08 WHIP and ability to limit the long ball (just five homers allowed) show exactly why the Cardinals are giving him this extended runway. In 2024, he looked untouchable with a 1.96 ERA as a rookie. And while 2025’s 4.41 ERA reflects some bumps along the way, his ground-ball style and control give him every chance to become a rotation mainstay in St. Louis.
Still, the takeaway is clear: without the Fedde trade, McGreevy would probably still be bouncing between spot starts and bullpen stints rather than getting the ball every fifth day as a member of the starting rotation. Now he’s eating innings, showing flashes of shutout potential, and giving the Cardinals a reason to believe he could be a long-term contributor on the mound.
In a season that’s suddenly more about the future than the present, McGreevy’s emergence is exactly the kind of storyline fans can rally behind. He’s proof that sometimes selling at the deadline isn’t just about who you lose, but about who finally gets their shot. And we just might be watching a kid evolve into the staff ace with every start.
