The Cleveland Guardians selected Liam Peterson out of Florida with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.
Over the last few years, the Cleveland Guardians have been on a trend of selecting high-upside position players in the first round of the draft.
The Guardians went back to what they know best and, on Saturday afternoon, selected RHP Liam Peterson out of Florida with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.
Cleveland selecting Peterson represents the first time the organization has selected a pitcher in the first round of the draft; the last one was Gavin Williams in 2021, who is currently a top arm in the Guardians’ rotation. It’s also the third year in a row the team has selected a college player in the first round.
With Peterson standing 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, throwing a great fastball, there are actually a lot of similarities between Cleveland’s newest pitching prospect and Williams.
Looking more closely at some of Peterson's stats and strengths, the right-hander just finished his junior season with the Gators, and it was arguably his best yet. The right-hander made 18 starts during the 2026 season and posted a 4.59 ERA and 1.42 WHIP.
Jun 15, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Florida Gators starting pitcher Liam Peterson (12) throws against the Texas A&M Aggies during the first inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY SportsWhat really makes Peterson an exciting pitching prospect is his command. He only had a walk rate of 9.8 percent last year, with a strikeout rate of 30.2 percent.
Right now, Peterson’s go-to pitch is his elite fastball. The heater alone can already reach mid-90s and has even topped out at 99 mph on occasion. MLB Pipeline even graded this pitch 60/80 in his recent
Peterson does still need to develop and decide on a go-to complementary pitch. He did throw both a slider and a curveball in college, but it’s still unclear which will best complement Peterson’s fastball.
The Guardians typically slow-play their pitching prospects and don’t rush them through the organization. However, Peterson is already 21 years old
Cleveland has a long history of being one of baseball's best pitching factories. Whenever the Guardians identify an arm to be in the organization, they typically turn out well for the team.
Can Peterson continue that trend as the newest Guardians pitching prospect?
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