Day 1 of the 2026 Draft included the Guardians' picks from Rounds 1-4, including Liam Peterson at No. 19 overall. Day 2 begins Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET through the conclusion of the Draft, spanning Rounds 5-20. Stream it live on MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+ and the MLB App.
CLEVELAND -- The Guardians opened Day 1 of the 2026 MLB Draft adding a pair of intriguing arms to the Cleveland Pitching Factory assembly line, before they then landed two collegiate prospects who are known for their promising hit tools.
The Guardians selected University of Florida right-hander Liam Peterson with the No. 19 overall pick, marking the third consecutive Draft they’ve taken a college prospect in the first round. It’s the first time Cleveland selected a pitcher with its top pick since Gavin Williams was taken No. 23 overall in 2021.
2026 MLB DRAFT PRESENTED BY NIPPON EXPRESS
Day 2: Sunday, July 12 (Rounds 5-20)
• 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. ET (MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)
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From there, the Guardians picked California prep left-hander Logan Schmidt (second round, No. 59 overall), University of Houston outfielder Tre Broussard (third, No. 95) and Wake Forest corner infielder Kade Lewis (fourth, No. 123).
“We’re really excited about the players we were able to pick today, super excited for the organization,” Guardians senior vice president of scouting Paul Gillispie said. “Our scouts did a great job of putting us in a position to make these decisions on Draft day.
“… We have a lot of work ahead of us tomorrow with Rounds 5-20. There’s still a lot of really good players on the board. But we’re really excited about the group we were able to bring in tonight on Day 1.”
Day 2 of the Draft will commence on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET. For now, here’s a look at the Guardians’ Day 1 haul.
Logan Schmidt, LHP
- Round 2, Pick 59
- Bats/throws: L/L
- School: Ganesha High School (Calif.)
- Calling Card: Schmidt will only turn 18 on July 23; the LSU commit reclassified to finish high school early. He’s listed at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds and features a fastball, a changeup and a slider, while showing he can fill up the zone with each.
- Quote: “Logan is 17 years old, but despite that, [he has a] really advanced feel for pitching. Fastball up to 98 [mph], really advanced feel for his changeup, developing breaking stuff. Delivery, arm action, all those things are starter-like. We’re really excited about Logan.” -- Gillispie
Tre Broussard, OF
- Round 3, Pick 95
- Bats/throws: L/L
- School: University of Houston
- Calling Card: Broussard’s best tool is his speed. He had 56 stolen bases in 98 games over two seasons with the Cougars, while logging a .315/.399/.464 slash line. He has a disciplined and gap-to-gap approach offensively and is known as a quality defender in center field.
- Quote: “Tre is a twitchy and athletic speed-oriented center fielder. Really good ability to control the strike zone. His contact skills are really impressive, and we think he's going to be able to play center field. He stole a lot of bases at the University of Houston. We're really excited about Tre.” -- Gillispie
Kade Lewis, 1B/3B
- Round 4, Pick 123
- Bats/throws: L/R
- School: Wake Forest University
- Calling Card: Lewis split his time between first and third base in two seasons at Wake Forest, after he spent his freshman campaign at Butler University. The Guardians will likely explore both positions with him initially, Gillispie noted. Lewis’ top tool is his bat-to-ball skills. He won the Big East Conference batting title in 2024 (.377 average) and hit .385 with Wake Forest in ‘26.
- Quote: “Really well-rounded offensive package with the ability to control the strike zone, but also impact the ball. Really impressive track record of success with him. He's hit, really, everywhere he's gone.” -- Gillispie
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