McGreevey, a lock for the Cardinal #3 Starter Role

The Cardinal Chronicle
Spring Training Notebook
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

Michael McGreevy continues to quietly strengthen his case this spring.

The young right-hander delivered another steady outing Friday afternoon, striking out four over four innings while allowing just one run in the Cardinals’ Grapefruit League matchup against the Baltimore Orioles.

McGreevy worked efficiently, running his pitch count to 60 while surrendering four singles and issuing no walks. The Orioles were able to put the ball in play, but the Cardinals’ defense handled the rest as McGreevy kept traffic manageable and stayed in control of the strike zone.

Through 8.1 innings this spring, the numbers tell a simple story. McGreevy has allowed just one walk while striking out eight batters. For a pitcher whose profile has always leaned on command, strike throwing, and attacking hitters, that ratio is exactly what the Cardinals want to see.

He isn’t overpowering hitters with pure velocity. That has never been his game. McGreevy wins by getting ahead, working both sides of the plate, and forcing hitters to swing at his pitch rather than theirs. Old-school baseball people tend to appreciate that approach, and it fits well within the organizational philosophy that has long defined the Cardinals’ pitching pipeline.

The outing also carried a little added significance.

McGreevy is tentatively lined up to start the third game of the regular season for St. Louis on March 29 at Busch Stadium against the Tampa Bay Rays. While spring numbers never tell the full story, they can reinforce confidence, and right now McGreevy is doing exactly what a young pitcher must do this time of year—throw strikes, stay efficient, and give the coaching staff reasons to trust him.

For a Cardinals club leaning into youth and opportunity in 2026, starts like Friday’s are the kind that quietly build momentum.

Sometimes the most important progress in spring training isn’t loud.

It’s steady.

Photo - Justin Edmonds | Credit: Getty Images