Florida pitcher Liam Peterson (12) pitches as the Florida Gators face the Kennesaw State Owls at Condron Family Ballpark on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, in Gainesville, Fla. (Matthew Lewis/WRUF)

Florida Pitcher Liam Peterson Drafted No. 19 Overall by Cleveland Guardians

One Florida baseball player didn’t wait long to hear his name called at the 2026 MLB Draft Saturday.

Drafted 19th overall by the Cleveland Guardians, Liam Peterson became the fifth-highest Gators pitcher selected and the 10th-highest player in program history.

Surrounded by friends and family, the room erupted as Peterson heard his name called by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfed and put on a Guardians hat.

Florida’s 232nd draft pick and 21st first-round pick all time (27th including the secondary phase), Peterson became coach Kevin O’Sullvian’s 15th Gator taken in the first round, ranking second nationally, and 65th pitcher after entering the draft ranked No. 20 on MLB’s top prospects list.

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He finished 2026 with a 4.59 ERA and a career-high 111 strikeouts, ranking seventh in the SEC. In his final regular season start against LSU on May 15, Peterson threw his first-career complete game, allowing one run on three hits while sitting down 11 Tigers.

The right-hander started 2026 as the staff’s ace, but O’Sullivan moved Peterson to the Saturday slot, ahead of the series opener against Georgia on April 10 after he started the season 1-2 with a 4.03 ERA in his first eight appearances.

Peterson served in the weekend rotation each of his three seasons with the Gators, compiling a 5.04 career ERA and 14-16 record. In 2025, he led the team in wins (8), strikeouts (96) and games started (15).

If Peterson reaches the majors, his No. 19 draft position carries a $4.53 million assigned value for his initial professional contract, which can be negotiated. He joins a trio of former Gators selected to the Guardians in 2021: Tommy Mace (No. 60), Jack Leftwich (No. 216) and Franco Aleman (No. 306).

While Peterson was the first Gators player off the board in this weekend’s draft, he may not be the last. Outfielder Kyle Jones (No. 135), right-handed pitcher Russell Sandefer (No. 177), right-handed pitcher Luke McNeillie (No. 185) and infielder Ethan Suroweic (No. 249) all cracked the Top 250 MLB Prospect Rankings. Caden McDonald, Jaden Bastian and Hayden Yost are also draft eligible.

Four Florida commits participated in the MLB Combine, including three in the top 200 prospects: outfielders Kevin Roberts Jr. (No. 136) and Brady Harris (No.163) and right-handed pitcher Brady Snow (No. 169), along with left-handed Colin White.

Category: Feature Sports News, Gator Sports, Gators Baseball