Florida junior right-handed pitcher Liam Peterson was selected by the Cleveland Guardians with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday.
The Clearwater native posted a 4.59 ERA with 111 strikeouts in 84.1 innings during his third season with the Gators, finishing his Florida career with a 5.03 ERA. Despite his inconsistencies, Peterson’s raw tools and ace potential made him an attractive pick in the draft.
The junior’s fastball is his biggest weapon, sitting 96-97 mph and reaching 100-101 mph when he lets it rip. The 6-foot-5 right-hander arrived at Florida as a two-way top 100 draft prospect out of high school and earned a spot in the weekend rotation during his freshman season.
In his first season with the Gators, Peterson posted a 6.43 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 63 innings. While the numbers weren’t eye-popping, Florida’s coaching staff saw plenty of attributes MLB teams want in a young flamethrower.
Peterson took a step forward during his sophomore season, recording a 4.28 ERA with 96 strikeouts in 69.1 innings. He also posted the third-best single-season K/9 mark in program history at 12.5.
Those numbers led to high expectations entering his junior season, with Baseball America naming him a preseason first-team All-American and some projecting him as a potential first college pitcher selected in the 2026 MLB Draft. However, a rocky and inconsistent start to the season caused him to drop down in the rotation behind SEC Pitcher of the Year Aidan King.
Peterson’s high-velocity fastball and hard-biting slider helped make up for control issues throughout the season. While his BB/9 improved every year at Florida, it was still at 3.8 during his final season.
His best outing of the season came against LSU in the Gators’ final regular-season series. Peterson threw a complete game, striking out 11 batters while allowing just one run en route to earning SEC Pitcher of the Week honors.
Although his fastball velocity is among the best in the draft class, Peterson’s pitches aren’t always as elusive as expected. Confident in its ability to develop pitching and maximize raw talent, Cleveland took a chance on the Florida righty in the first round.
Contact Colton Veres at cveres@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @colton_veres.
Colton Veres is a senior sports journalism student in his first semester at The Alligator. He is currently the Summer 2026 baseball reporter. In his free time he enjoys watching the Red Sox and spending times with friends and loved ones.
