UCSB’s Michael McGreevy, former San Clemente star, drafted in first round by Cardinals

Michael McGreevy from San Clemente fires a pitch for UC Santa Barbara. (Photo courtesy Zachary BonDurant/UCSB sports information)

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Michael McGreevy, a former standout at San Clemente High School and a member of the UC Santa Barbara baseball team, became just the second Gaucho ever taken in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft this week.

McGreevy was selected with the 18th overall pick by the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday night. He is now the second-highest pick in program history following Dillon Tate’s fourth overall pick in 2015 and the highest pick in the Big West Conference since 2017. 

In his third season on the mound for the Gauchos McGreevy proved to be a consistent strike-thrower that has made a career off of challenging every batter at the plate. He ranked second in the nation with a 0.97 walks allowed per nine Innings average and a 10.45 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

The right-hander collected 115 strikeouts this season, which ranks third all-time in Gaucho history, and added a 9-2 record and a 2.92 ERA. He etched his name into the record books on a single game basis as well striking out 15 batters in the team’s 4-1 win over Cal Poly. It is the sole 15-strikeout game for UCSB and is the fourth best performance all-time.

McGreevy was named first team All-Big West, a second team All-American, second team All-West Region, and was named Big West Pitcher of the Week on two occasions. He was also named to both the Golden Spikes Award watch list and College Baseball Foundation’s Pitcher of the Year watch list.

Originally recruited as a two-way player, McGreevy quickly became a full-time pitcher in his freshman season at UCSB. He was the most reliable arm out of the bullpen making 29 appearances on the mound posting a 5-1 record with six saves, 53 strikeouts, and a 1.94 ERA. He allowed just 13 earned runs and walks.

In the shortened 2020 season he was off to a hot start going 2-0 in four starts with 26 strikeouts and a 0.99 ERA in 27 1/3 innings of work.

He becomes the 50^th player drafted by an MLB team in the Coach Andrew Checketts era and is the 38^th chosen since 2015. Both marks pace the Big West.

One of his teammates, Rodney Boone out of Tustin, was drafted in the eighth round by the Cleveland Indians. Click here for the story on Boone.

—Courtesy Daniel Moebus-Bowles, UCSB sports information