photo: Andre Granillo (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
Improving Memphis right-handed relief pitcher Andre Granillo put together the top overall pitching performance in the St. Louis Cardinals system in May, in our view.
It is time to select The Cardinal Nation’s May 2025 Pitcher of the Month. This article covers pitchers across all levels of the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system during the period.
As a reminder, this is NOT the “Pitcher of the Month Among Top Prospects”. Every player in the system has an equal chance, with only their performance during the month used to differentiate the best of the best. Age and level, which are key prospect considerations, are not primary factors here.
Guidelines
To qualify, a pitcher must have thrown at least 10 innings during May. 52 of 91 total pitchers made the first cut. To reach the list of 11 finalists, an ERA below 2.00 was required. The group consists of five starters and six relievers.
The finalists represent all five levels of the organization playing during May, from the rookie level Florida Complex League up through Triple-A Memphis. Double-A Springfield leads the pack with four finalists, followed by the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds and High-A Palm Beach with three and Low-A Palm Beach and the Florida Complex League had just one finalist each.
One finalist did not allow an earned run all month and only one other had an ERA below 1.00. But as you probably know, there is more to our process than just selecting the pitcher with the lowest ERA.
Starters vs. Relievers
Not too many years ago, I used to select separate Starting Pitcher and Relief Pitchers of the Month. Because they are different jobs, I submit that it is easier for a reliever to generate standout results. However, I don’t have a formula to equalize them. I use my best judgement.
The three pitchers with the lowest May ERA are relievers. The starter with the lowest ERA, Ruben Menes of the FCL, threw just 12 innings, fewer than many relievers.
Michael McGreevy’s ERA of 1.64 is only tied for seventh lowest among our finalists. However, the right-hander’s results are exceptional enough that many believe he is ready for St. Louis’ rotation.
As his results are considered on their own merit, I could understand if he was the choice of some as their Pitcher of the Month, even though he is not our selection. If there was a separate Starter award, McGreevy would be our honoree.
Relievers vs. Relievers
The top three in May ERA are Jack Ralston (0.00) and Nick Raquet (0.64) of Springfield plus Andre Granillo (1.17) of Memphis. They allowed zero, one and two runs during the month, respectively.
While their results speak for themselves, there are extenuating circumstances. Ralston is 27 years old and first reached Springfield in 2023. Despite strong results last season, he has never been given a shot at Memphis.
On the other hand, Raquet, 29, spent most of 2024 in Triple-A, but returned to Double-A for 2025. One could argue that both are currently pitching below their level.
That is not the case for Granillo, 25. Always possessing great strikeout stuff, his change for 2025 is a greatly improved ability to reduce his walks year to year, from 6.0 per nine innings to 2.6. As a result, Granillo seems to have checked his final box to qualify for his Major League debut.
When all is said and done, Granillo is The Cardinal Nation’s May Pitcher of the Month.
Counting Stats
In the following table, the finalists are listed in ascending ERA order.
| Pitcher | Tm | W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | SVO | IP | H | R | ER | HR | HB | BB | SO | WHIP | AVG |
| Jack Ralston | Spr | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 17 | 0.69 | 0.098 |
| Nick Raquet | Spr | 3 | 0 | 0.64 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 0.86 | 0.192 |
| Andre Granillo | Mem | 1 | 0 | 1.17 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15.1 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 24 | 0.65 | 0.130 |
| Ruben Menes | FCL | 0 | 1 | 1.50 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 1.25 | 0.240 |
| Riley O’Brien | Mem | 1 | 0 | 1.59 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 11.1 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 17 | 1.06 | 0.190 |
| Michael Watson | Peo | 1 | 0 | 1.62 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 16.2 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 21 | 0.90 | 0.121 |
| Michael McGreevy | Mem | 3 | 0 | 1.64 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 24 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 29 | 1.27 | 0.273 |
| Tanner Jacobson | Peo | 2 | 1 | 1.64 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 1.55 | 0.211 |
| Jason Savacool | PB | 2 | 1 | 1.73 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 18 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 21 | 0.88 | 0.191 |
| Ixan Henderson | Spr | 1 | 2 | 1.91 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 28.1 | 19 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 32 | 1.02 | 0.194 |
| Chen-Wei Lin | Peo | 0 | 1 | 1.93 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 0.93 | 0.160 |
Six of the 11 finalists allowed fewer than one baserunner per inning via walks and hits (WHIP). Lowest was Granillo (0.65), with Ralston close behind (0.69).
In batting average against, Ralston was truly exceptional at .098, with Peoria’s Michael Watson at .121 and Granillo next at .130. McGreevy was highest among finalists at .273.
It may not be their fault, but four unearned runs occurred on the ledgers of starters Menes and Chen-Wei Lin of Peoria while McGreevy had three.
Advanced stats
Here are additional statistics from the finalists in the same ascending ERA sequence.
| Pitcher > 10 IP | Tm | NP | P/IP | QS | GF | HLD | WP | GO/AO | SO/9 | BB/9 | K/BB | BABIP |
| Jack Ralston | Spr | 176 | 13.5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 | 11.8 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 0.167 |
| Nick Raquet | Spr | 168 | 12.0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1.4 | 9.0 | 1.3 | 7.0 | 0.263 |
| Andre Granillo | Mem | 259 | 16.9 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 14.1 | 1.8 | 8.0 | 0.207 |
| Ruben Menes | FCL | 156 | 13.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1.3 | 7.5 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 0.300 |
| Riley O’Brien | Mem | 165 | 14.6 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 4.7 | 13.5 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 0.320 |
| Michael Watson | Peo | 271 | 16.3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0.6 | 11.3 | 4.3 | 2.6 | 0.189 |
| Michael McGreevy | Mem | 366 | 16.6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1.5 | 11.9 | 1.6 | 7.3 | 0.407 |
| Tanner Jacobson | Peo | 220 | 20.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1.5 | 9.0 | 7.4 | 1.2 | 0.269 |
| Jason Savacool | PB | 382 | 14.7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1.3 | 7.3 | 1.7 | 4.2 | 0.236 |
| Ixan Henderson | Spr | 424 | 15.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.9 | 10.2 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 0.262 |
| Chen-Wei Lin | Peo | 220 | 15.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.3 | 9.6 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 0.229 |
The groundball to fly ball ratio of 4.7 to 1 crafted by Memphis reliever Riley O’Brien is truly exceptional. The next closest finalists were at 1.5!
All but two of the 11 finalists struck out more than one batter per inning. Granillo was tops at 14.1 K/9 with O’Brien next at 13.5.
Raquet was stingiest with walks at 1.3 per nine. Next were McGreevy (1.6), Palm Beach starter Jason Savacool (1.7) and Granillo (1.8).
Put the two together and Granillo’s K/BB ratio of 8.0/1 is best with McGreevy at 7.3 and Raquet at 7.0 following.
BABIP (batting average on balls in play) really makes a case for McGreevy. The right-hander put up his strong May results despite an unbelievably high BABIP of .407. Call him up!
On the other hand, the very low .167 BABIP from Ralston and the .189 mark by Watson are not sustainable. The two had considerable good fortune that should balance out (with poorer results) over time. Even Granillo may have a hard time keeping a BABIP as low as .207. This is the only question mark against his candidacy, in my view.
Still, when considering all results, Granillo is our choice as The Cardinal Nation’s May Pitcher of the Month.
The right-hander led the way in WHIP, strikeout rate and strikeout to walk ratio. Granillo was third in ERA and batting average against and fourth in walk rate, with the latter a tremendous improvement over his pre-2025 results.
About the winner
Granillo was selected by the Cardinals in the 14th round of the 2021 draft. Across three levels in 2022 including his Springfield debut, he was the organization’s strikeout king at 14.1 per nine innings and logged the system-leading total of 31 games finished. Granillo tied for fourth in the system with his eight saves, a very good showing in his first full professional season.
In 2023, his 14 saves led the Texas League and he earned a promotion to Memphis in August. The slider specialist followed a slow Triple-A beginning with a good stint in the Arizona Fall League.
His 2024 was a disappointment, highlighted by that 6.0 per nine walk rate and pronounced struggles against left-handed hitters. These have both been addressed in 2025, perhaps opening the door for Granillo to get a shot with St. Louis.
Granillo is The Cardinal Nation’s 21st-ranked prospect.
Companion article
Earlier, Florida Complex League catcher Rainiel Rodriguez was named the top hitter in the system for the month per The Cardinal Nation. Check out the 18-year-old’s results and those of our finalists here:
The Cardinal Nation May 2025 Player of the Month – Rainiel Rodriguez
What is next?
The Cardinals organization should also name their own selections for May Player and Pitcher of the Month in the upcoming days.
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