The Cleveland Guardians have long been known for their prowess in developing young pitchers. Saturday afternoon, the ball club added a new arm in hopes of continuing that reputation.
With the 19th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft, the Guardians selected RHP Liam Peterson.
The hard-throwing 6-foot-5-inch junior out of the University of Florida is coming off a strong year with the Gators, striking out 111 batters in 84.1 innings pitched, despite posting a 4.59 ERA in 2026.
Peterson joins a solid lineage of pitchers taken by Cleveland in the draft, becoming the 31st pitcher taken by the Guardians in the first round and the first since RHP Gavin Williams was drafted in 2021.
Now, Peterson has a chance to add to an already impressive list of Cleveland-developed pitching.
