NAME: Michael McGreevy
SCHOOL: UC Santa Barbara
POSITION: RHP
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6’4″ 215
B/T: R/R
D.O.B.: July 8, 2000
PREVIOUSLY DRAFTED: No.
Scouting Report
Michael McGreevy is a soon to be 21-year-old right hander from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He wasn’t drafted out of high school after attending San Clemente High School in Orange County. He pitched and played shortstop for the Tritons and was selected as a Varsity Scholar Athlete for three seasons. McGreevy pitched out of the UCSB bullpen as a freshman back in 2019 and was named First Team All Big West. He threw 60 innings in total. As a sophomore, the athletic right hander made four starts and posted a 0.99 ERA before the NCAA season was shut down.
McGreevy was named the Friday Night starter for the Gauchos this spring and he really thrived in the rotation. Known more for his pitchability and super command coming into the season, his stuff really ticked up a notch this spring. He has earned Shane Bieber comparisons due to where he pitches but his stuff is better than that of the Indians’ ace at the same juncture.
In 2021, the 6’4″ righty posted a 9-2 record with a 2.92 ERA and solidified himself as the best college pitcher on the west coast. He made 16 starts and struck out 115 hitters with only 11 walks in 101.2 innings. He will likely go in the first round of the 2021 draft and he should move quickly through someone’s farm system.
Prospect Video courtesy of The Prospect Pipeline
Scouting Grades
*Scouting grades are according to MLB Pipeline’s rankings, grades may vary between different publications*
Fastball: 55
Slider: 55
Changeup: 50
Curveball: 50 Overall: 55
Prospect Overview and Future Outlook
McGreevy is the #28 overall draft prospect in the 2021 class according to MLB Pipeline. The publication notes his “advanced pitchability and improved stuff” as a big reason why he’s expected to become the highest drafted Gaucho since Bieber. The right hander throws lots of strikes and peppers the zone. McGreevy walked just two hitters per nine innings over the his final two collegiate seasons. The fastball gets up to 96 mph with more consistency after sitting in the low nineties previously. The fastball shows good sinking movement and he throws two very “distinct breaking balls” to go with it according to MLB.com. The California native throws a slider that flashes plus and he spins a developing curveball as well. He possesses just an average changeup but he can command all four offerings regularly.
Baseball America ranks McGreevy as the 16th overall player in the 2021 draft class and they placed a 60-grade on his curveball while putting a 70-grade on his control. The righty is noted for being an “excellent athlete” that stands out mostly for the control he has of is four pitch mix. He displays a low 80’s curveball with “downer action” and he projects to have “plus-plus control” in the future. He’s an elite strike thrower with a strong and durable body with an athletic and repeatable delivery to go along with it.
“McGreevy located his fastball to both sides of the plate, lands all three of his secondary pitches for strikes and works quickly and efficiently”, said Carlos Collazo, lead prospect writer at BA. McGreevy holds his stuff deep into games and he’s young for the class as he’s about to turn just 21-years-old this week. He could be in for a significant jump in professional ball.
Mock Draft Outcomes
In the most recent mock draft at FanGraphs, Eric Longenhagen and Kevin Goldstein left McGreevy out of the first round but mentioned him as high as #20 to the Yankees. Baseball America projects the righty to the Cleveland Indians at #23 but they mention the Chicago Cubs as well. Over at The Athletic, Keith Law sent the Santa Barbara star to the Indians as well. In the most recent update from Jonathan Mayo at MLB Pipeline, he projected McGreevy at #24 to the Atlanta Braves while Jim Callis has him going to the Cincinnati Reds in the compensatory round. In our latest at FutureSox, I predicted that the right hander would end up in Atlanta with the Braves #24 overall.
Potential Fit with the White Sox
The White Sox selected five pitchers in the 2020 draft and Mike Shirley talks often about “attacking young pitching” and he’s emphasized that the organization is always looking for it. The franchise has Jimmy Lambert and Jonathan Stiever serving as a depth in the high minors currently. Jared Kelley, Matthew Thompson, Andrew Dalquist and Norge Vera are further away but all possess varying levels of upside. McGreevy would immediately become the best pitching prospect in the system.
The White Sox usually opt for starting pitchers with more premium stuff but McGreevy has the pitchability and upside combination that should place him firmly in the club’s prospect mix at #22. There have been lots of rumors linking the White Sox to prep hitters early on but they haven’t taken a high school player since 2012. Michael McGreevy seems to be firmly in the mix for the White Sox at #22.
Photo Credit: D1Baseball.com
Want to know right away when we publish a new article? Type your email address in the box on the right-side bar (or at the bottom, if on a mobile device) and click the SUBSCRIBE button. Our list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time. Also, consider supporting FutureSox on Patreon! You will get early access to special articles and Patreon-only posts, in addition to more benefits. Shop our exclusive merchandise! Show your support with the latest FutureSox apparel.