Guardians restock pitching depth, take RHP Peterson 19th overall

CLEVELAND -- The Guardians organization has long been renowned for its pitching factory, which has churned out myriad quality hurlers through the years. In the first round of the MLB Draft on Saturday, Cleveland added a new face to the assembly line.

With the No. 19 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the Guardians selected University of Florida right-hander Liam Peterson.

Peterson (who was ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 20 Draft prospect) has the pitch arsenal of a future rotation mainstay. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound hurler attacks hitters with a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and can top out at 99 mph. His mid-80s slider is one of the best in this year’s class, while his 12-to-6 curveball is an above-average third offering that he could stand to utilize more often. Peterson also has a changeup which shows promise.

With that kind of repertoire, you would expect Peterson, 21, to absolutely dominate on the collegiate level, but he produced a 5.03 ERA across 216 2/3 innings with Florida. This past spring, he had a 4.59 ERA in 84 1/3 frames. He struck out 111 batters and did show slightly better control than in years past, but harnessing his stuff remains his biggest issue, as evidenced by his career 4.7 BB/9 rate in college.

Peterson knows that his results haven’t matched his stuff, and he told MLB Network’s Dan O’Dowd last month that he is “certainly not happy with the way I have performed.” But that hasn’t shaken the Palm Harbor, Fla., native’s belief in his own talent.

“I think I really have the potential to be a Cy Young, top-end starter in MLB,” Peterson said. “And I don’t mean that in a cocky way. I just think you’ve got to be confident in yourself. I know what I have, and I know I haven’t necessarily shown that in my performances so far. But I really do think I’m close to getting where I want to be.”

The Guardians are the only team in the Majors this season to have used just five starting pitchers. The rotation has been their backbone, but Peterson’s selection makes sense to help replenish the organization's pitching pipeline.

There are just 10 pitchers ranked on MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 Prospects list for the Guardians, three of whom are in the Top 10 in right-handers Braylon Doughty (No. 4, No. 95 overall) Khal Stephen (No. 7) and Joey Oakie (No. 9). Each is a ways away from the Majors to varying degrees.

Cleveland promoted Doughty (a 20-year-old who was the No. 36 overall pick in the 2024 Draft) to Double-A Akron on June 30. Stephen was with Akron, but he underwent right UCL repair surgery on Monday and is expected to miss 10-12 months. Oakie, 20, is with Single-A Hill City.

Peterson now figures to stand among that trio as one of the Guardians’ top pitching prospects.