Guardians Select RHP Liam Peterson with Their 2026 First Round Pick

The Guardians have made their choice and it’s a college pitcher as many suspected it might be.

Peterson is a 6’5, 225 lb right-handed starter from Florida. Peterson was the 20th ranked prospect in the draft according to MLB Pipeline

“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.”