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“I’m in the same spot as last year, where I get to the big leagues and you don’t want the season to be over,� McGreevy said Wednesday.

What the final stretch of this regular season presents also draws parallels to what it could mean in the long haul for the 25-year-old rookie, as he sees it as a stretch where he can “set myself up for a good foundation next year.�

Set to make his first start of September on Friday when the Cardinals welcome the Giants to Busch Stadium for three games to finish their penultimate homestand of the season, McGreevy entered the final month of the regular season as one of a handful of rookies on the Cardinals’ active roster.

Here’s a glance at what three rookies, including McGreevy, look to take with them from the final month of the 2025 season:

Making refinements over the final stretch

McGreevy slid into the Cardinals’ rotation for the final week of the regular season last year and followed the brief showing with a successful spring training that positioned him as the Cardinals’ top starting depth in Class AAA to open the year.

Looking back at what a sample of the majors showed him, McGreevy noted the experience of pitching in higher-leverage games and adapting to a five-man rotation as opposed to a six-man rotation in the minors was part of the learning experience.

“It was good to get the feet wet, and now that I’m here, it’s nothing out of the ordinary,� McGreevy said.

McGreevy’s experience last September, when he made two starts, totaled 13 innings and allowed four runs, provided a launching point for a spring training during which he pushed for a big-league rotation spot by posting a 1.08 ERA in 16 2/3 innings.

Since moving fully into the Cardinals’ rotation after the All-Star break, McGreevy has gone 6-2 with a 4.15 ERA and totaled 47 2/3 innings through eight starts. He’s completed six or more innings in seven of his eight starts and had a 3.50 ERA in six starts across August.

He’ll start his September by facing the club he ended the last game of the regular season against last September. The start offers him a chance to make minor adjustments he’ll look to carry into the offseason.

“The body feels good. Arm feels fine. Mechanics feel a little bit off. It’s nothing that’s terrible that’s screwing me over. I just want to make sure I clean those up, end strong, on a good note,� McGreevy said.

Working through leverage

For rookie reliever Matt Svanson, strong health was noted as a priority for what he hopes September brings. So too are more opportunities to pitch in spots he’s grown into.

“Finish off the season strong (and) finish it healthy are the two main aspects, and then really just getting more experience in the high leverage roles,� Svanson said.

Protected from the Rule 5 Draft last winter after a strong season as Class AA Springfield’s primary closer, Svanson owns a 2.03 ERA and has struck out 51 batters in 48 2/3 innings out of the bullpen this year. He’s secured three holds, which have come across his previous six appearances. The most recent hold by Svanson came Tuesday after he threw a scoreless seventh and eighth inning in a 2-1 win over the Athletics.

Svanson’s outing lowered his post-All-Star break ERA to 0.79 over 22 2/3 innings. He extended his streak of allowing zero runs in relief outings of two or more innings to eight consecutive such outings, tying the 26-year-old rookie for the longest streak in the majors this season of consecutive scoreless outings that consisted of two or more innings.

The right-hander described a feeling of added comfort in key spots as opportunities come his way, as well as growth in how he pitches to opposing hitters.

“When you’re down, you’re just attack, attack, attack every time,� Svanson said. “And now it’s like, ‘Hey, this guy’s not a good matchup for me.’ Two outs nobody on, maybe I could pitch around him a little bit. See if I can get him to chase. See if I can get him to hit my pitches.�

Being a ‘sponge’

In the majors for the first time in his career, Cardinals catching prospect Jimmy Crooks looks to keep a similar approach to what he had as a non-roster invitee to big-league spring training earlier this year.

He wants to be “a sponge.�

“I get to learn a lot more about the pitchers and how to handle them. ... I’m just trying to take as much information I can get and apply it to what I do with my routine and what I need to do with my studying and report stuff for all these guys and help them make their job less stressful than it already is,� Crooks said.

Called up to the majors Aug. 28 when catcher Yohel Pozo was placed on the 7-day injured list because of a concussion, Crooks would have been in consideration for a promotion when rosters expanded in September, even if an injury didn’t open a roster spot.

The Cardinals’ top catching prospect at the start of the year, Crooks spent this minor league season as Class AAA Memphis’s primary catcher. He hit .274 with a .337 on-base percentage and a .778 OPS in 98 games before his promotion.

Now in the majors, Crooks has started two games while alternating starts with Pedro Pages. The setting provides the Cardinals coaching staff a chance to get eyes on Crooks ahead of 2026. For the 24-year-old Crooks, he’ll look to treat each game opportunity in the majors like every other game he played before making his MLB debut.

“It’s the same game, just a bigger stadium, bigger lights, and that’s how I treat it,� Crooks said. “The hitters are better, but we’ve got to figure out around that because hitting is hard, and I know that for a fact. But it’s just been cool and not letting the environment get too big for me.�