While Cleveland’s first-round choice of Liam Peterson drew plenty of the draft-day spotlight, the pick that may end up mattering most came much later. The Guardians grabbed prep right-hander Savion Sims from Prestonwood Christian Academy in Texas in the seventh round, 194 selections after taking Peterson at No. 19.
Sims is still very much a work in progress, but the raw stuff is already loud. His fastball sits at 97 miles per hour, and there’s real belief it could climb into triple digits before long. That upside is exactly why MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis singled him out on a recent podcast as the best value pick of the seventh round.
" Talk about guys you could dream on. He's 6-foot-8, 215 pounds.
Hits 100 mph with his fastball, does it with ease. This guy's going to get stronger, and he throws without effort.
I mean he's probably going to throw 104 one day. It's an amazing arm, ”
That kind of praise fits the profile Cleveland is betting on: size, arm strength and plenty of projection. At 6-foot-8 and 215 pounds, Sims gives the Guardians a high-ceiling arm with a frame that still has room to fill out. And if there’s one organization that can make the most of that kind of pitcher, it’s Cleveland, with its reputation as a pitching factory.
The pairing with Peterson also makes the seventh-round gamble look even smarter. Peterson is the more polished, MLB-ready prospect, while Sims is the long-term play who will need time and development. Cleveland could even choose to leave Sims alone for the rest of this year, just as it did with Jace LaViolette last season, before sending him to the Arizona Complex League at some point in 2027.
This year’s draft didn’t carry the same attention as Cleveland’s 2024 class, when the club took Travis Bazzana with the No. 1 pick, or 2025, when LaViolette slipped to them. Even so, the Guardians appear to have checked both the short-term and long-term boxes. Sims is the kind of lottery-ticket pick that can change how a class is remembered.
That matters in Cleveland, where the draft has extra weight because the club isn’t going to outspend the league’s biggest players. Finding a talent like Sims in the seventh round is exactly the sort of move that can help the Guardians keep winning.
In Other News...
This Guardians Trade Idea Feels Like Exactly What Cleveland Needs
With the trade deadline approaching, Cleveland has been linked to the kind of move that would add some real flexibility to a roster still looking for a little more punch. The front office has already signaled that it wants to improve the club, and the fact that the Guardians and Giants have dealt with each other earlier this season only adds another layer to the possibility of another match between two teams that know each other a bit better than most.
What makes this idea stand out is the blend of offense and versatility on the table. The player in question is in the middle of his best season yet, and he has given San Francisco a useful bat while covering multiple spots around the diamond, including second base, third base, shortstop, first base and left field. For a Cleveland team that could use more balance and more options, that sort of profile is exactly the kind of fit that tends to make sense right up until the moment a deadline deal either comes together or slips away. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Finally Have One Last Chance To Cash In On Bo Naylor
Bo Naylors path in Cleveland has narrowed in a hurry. The Guardians have cut back his role, brought Patrick Bailey into the picture, and made it harder to see where Naylor fits long term, even as he has kept working in Triple-A with a respectable offensive showing since the demotion.
That has made him a name worth watching as the trade deadline approaches, especially with several clubs already taking a look. Cleveland may have one last window to turn Naylor into value, and Cooper Ingles rising trade appeal only adds another layer to what could become a broader roster shuffle. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Have Found Another Internal Pitching Answer
The Guardians player-development machine keeps turning out arms, and the latest name to watch is a right-hander who has moved quickly from the lower levels into the upper minors. Cleveland has long leaned on its ability to grow pitching internally, and this season has only reinforced that reputation as another prospect has put himself on the radar with a strong run in the system.
After climbing from High-A to Double-A and then on to Triple-A Columbus in short order, the pitcher has paired that rise with steady production, including a 2.61 ERA in 15 starts. The bigger question now is how Cleveland chooses to use him next, since a move to the bullpen could give the club another option for the stretch run and potentially help ease pressure before the trade deadline. [Read more 🡒]