CLEVELAND, OH – The Cleveland Guardians today announced the selection of RHP LIAM PETERSON with the 19th overall selection in the 2026 MLB Draft.
Peterson, a 21-year-old out of the University of Florida, made 16 starts in 2026, going 3-6 with a 4.59 ERA (43ER, 84.1IP), 1.42 WHIP and a .258 batting average against. The right-hander racked up 111 strikeouts against just 36 walks, ranking 7th overall in the SEC in punchouts and 25th nationally.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound righty served as a member of the Gators weekend rotation for all three seasons in Gainesville, going 14-16 with a 5.03 ERA (121ER/216.2IP) over 50 collegiate games/47 starts. Peterson boasted an 11.8 SO/9 over three seasons at Florda, racking up 284 strikeouts over 216.2 innings of work.
MLB Pipeline’s No. 19 prospect racked up a multitude of awards as a Gator, being named 2026 First Team Preseason All-American (Baseball America & Perfect Game), 2026 First Team Preseason All-SEC, 2024 SEC All-Freshman Team and 2024 SEC Freshman of the Week (May 20).
Peterson is Florida’s first opening-round pick since Jac Caglianone went sixth overall to the Kansas City Royals in 2024 and the first Guardians first-round pick from the University of Florida. He is the first pitcher taken by the Guards with their first pick of the draft since RHP GAVIN WILLIAMS in 2021.
The Clearwater, Florida native excelled at Calvary Christian High School, earning 2023 Class 3A Player of the Year honors by going 5-2 with a 1.78 ERA during his senior campaign, striking out 16.7 batters per 9.0 innings. He was even more dominant in his junior campaign, turning in a 0.75 ERA with 68 strikeouts. Peterson was ranked as the #34 overall player and #8 right-handed pitcher nationally on top of being the #8 recruit and #3 right-hander in Florida, according to Perfect Game.
MLB Pipeline on the No. 20 ranked prospect
In 2023, Peterson was a Top 100 prospect, not to mention a two-way player, from the Florida high school ranks, but some inconsistencies during his senior year likely priced him out of the range where he would have considered signing instead of heading to Gainesville and the University of Florida. He earned a spot in the Gators’ rotation as a freshman and has never relinquished it. He’ll front that staff in 2026 and if he can continue to iron out some things, has the stuff to be the first college arm to come off the board in July.
The 6-foot-5 Peterson presents an exciting combination of now stuff and projection. His fastball sat in the mid-90s as a sophomore and he’s shown the ability to reach back for 98-99 mph, both last spring and in short looks this fall. The pitch can show good carry at times, though it can flatten out occasionally and get hit more than it should. Florida calls a lot of sliders and Peterson’s mid-80s breaker has improved into a solid out pitch, though there are some scouts who think his 12-to-6 hammer curve is a better, but not utilized, offering. His changeup has also improved with solid fade and depth.
Peterson’s slot has returned to a higher three-quarters slot, similar to where he was in high school, that could serve him well. He can get a little over-aggressive in his mode of operation on the mound, leading to some command issues. There aren’t many college arms with better pure stuff in this class and if he can take another step forward in terms of execution, he could show up in top of the Draft conversations.