Cardinals 25-Year-Old Could Soon Become St. Louis' Next Star Pitcher

Michael McGreevy could be the Cardinals' next star pitcher if he can miss more bats this season...

Feb 14, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael McGreevy (36) and catcher Ivan Herrera (48) hug after a bullpen session during a spring training workout at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have fully committed to a rebuild by swinging four blockbuster trades this offseason. As a result, they're going to need their young prospects to step up in place of Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado, and Brendan Donovan.

Donovan is expected to be replaced by top prospect JJ Wetherholt, which shouldn't be much of a downgrade, especially long term. Wetherholt is one of the best prospects in the game. Nolan Gorman and Alec Burleson are expected to replace Arenado and Contreras, respectively.

But the Cardinals aren't sure who's going to step up to replace Gray.

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They have a slew of pitching prospects who could come to the big leagues, but it's unclear who's ready and who's not. As a result, the Cardinals will likely lean on guys with big league time early on in the year.

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter recently listed 25-year-old Cardinals pitcher Michael McGreevy as the team's next breakout pitcher this season.

Michael McGreevy could be headed for a breakout season with Cardinals

Feb 14, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael McGreevy (36) looks on during spring training at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

"Among the 143 pitchers who recorded at least 90 innings last season, McGreevy ranked 137th with a 14.5 percent strikeout rate," Reuter wrote. "That might sound like a knock, but it actually speaks to his advanced feel for pitching that he was able to log the respectable numbers he did without missing any bats. His strikeout rate was 20.7 percent in the minors, and if he can climb closer to that mark, a sub-4.00 ERA is well within reach. The rebuilding Cardinals will give him every chance to prove himself."

McGreevy struggles to miss bats. He ranks in the bottom three percent in the league in strikeout percentage. Still, he's able to keep the Cardinals in games because of his low walk rate and his ability to mix up his pitches.

If the Cardinals can help McGreevy develop one or two of his seven pitches into a swing and miss pitch, he could see a huge jump in production. While strikeouts aren't everything, there's almost no better outcome for a pitcher. It's very rare to see a dominant pitcher with a strikeout rate of around 15 percent.

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