The Cleveland Guardians used the No. 19 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft to bring in a different kind of first-round talent than they’ve leaned on lately. On Saturday afternoon, they selected right-hander Liam Peterson out of Florida, putting a hard-throwing pitcher at the top of their draft board.
That choice stands out for Cleveland. In recent years, the Guardians have made a habit of targeting high-upside position players in the first round, but this time they went back to what they know best.
It’s the first time the organization has taken a pitcher in the first round since Gavin Williams in 2021, and Williams is now a top arm in the Guardians’ rotation. It also marks the third straight year Cleveland has used its first-round pick on a college player.
Peterson brings the kind of frame and stuff that fit Cleveland’s eye. He’s listed at 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, and his fastball is already the pitch that jumps out.
The right-hander can get it into the mid-90s and has touched 99 mph at times. MLB Pipeline recently gave the pitch a 60/80 grade.
The Florida product just wrapped up his junior season, and it may have been his strongest one yet. In 18 starts in 2026, Peterson posted a 4.59 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP.
What he still has to sort out is the pitch that will play off that fastball. Peterson threw both a slider and a curveball in college, but it’s not yet clear which one will become his main secondary offering.
Cleveland usually takes its time with pitching prospects rather than rushing them through the system, though Peterson is already 21 years old. And with the Guardians’ long track record as one of baseball’s better pitching factories, the bet here is obvious: if they like an arm, they tend to turn that arm into something useful.
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