Where Gators RHP Liam Peterson Went in the 2026 MLB Draft
Florida Gators pitcher Liam Peterson is officially off the board.
Peterson on Saturday was selected in the First Round with the 19th overall pick of the 2026 MLB Draft by the Cleveland Guardians, becoming the first Gator taken in this year's draft. He is also Florida's first first-round pick since Jac Caglianone went sixth overall to Kansas City in 2024 and Florida's first pitcher to be selected in the first round since righty Hurston Waldrep went 24th overall to Atlanta in 2023.
Peterson is Florida's 21st all-time first-round pick in program history. At pick No. 19, his approximate value, according to MLB.com, is $4.53 million.
Liam wit it, rock wit it
- Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) July 11, 2026
1st Round Pick @CleGuardianspic.twitter.com/FYR2EHNkFe
Peterson had a rocky three seasons with the Gators. At his best, he was one of the most dominant arms in the country - headlined by 111 strikeouts last season - but he struggled with consistency. In the final start of his career - Florida's first loss to Troy in the Gainesville Regional - he gave up nine earned runs on 10 hits, including four home runs.
He addressed his inconsistency in an interview with Dan O'Dowd on the MLB Network.
"I don't want to sound cocky or anything coming off of this, but I think I really have the potential to be a Cy Young top-end starter in MLB," he said. "And I don't mean that in a cocky way. I just think that you've got to be confident in yourself. I know what I have, and I know that I haven't necessarily shown that in my performances so far, but I really do think I'm close to getting where I want to be."
Peterson likely finishes his UF career with a 5.03 ERA and 14-16 record across 50 appearances (47 starts) with 284 strikeouts and 112 walks in 216 2/3 innings pitched.
Peterson's high selection makes it extremely unlikely he returns to campus for his fourth season at Florida. Junior righty Aidan King headlines Florida's weekend starters next season, while reliever Jackson Barberi and lefty transfer Trey Morris are expected to round out the weekend rotation.
With Peterson off the board, all eyes are now on who could be Florida's next drafted player. Notable Gators still on the board who still have college eligibility include right-handed pitchers Russell Sandefer and Luke McNeillie, outfielder Kyle Jones, infielder Ethan Surowiec and right-handed pitcher/designated hitter Caden McDonald.
Sandefer, McNeillie and Jones are each ranked inside the MLB Pipeline Top 200.
High school prospects for the Gators to keep an eye on include infielder Kevin Roberts Jr., outfielder Brady Harris, right-handed pitcher Brady Snow, left-handed pitcher Colin White and outfielder Braylen Montgomery. Roberts Jr. is ranked as the No. 136 overall prospect in MLB.com's prospect rankings, while Harris and Snow come in at No. 163 and No. 169, respectively.
The draft continues through the Fourth Round on Saturday before continuing with Rounds 5-20 on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. The deadline for drafted players to elect to return to or enroll at a college is July 27 at 5 p.m.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/florida as Where Gators RHP Liam Peterson Went in the 2026 MLB Draft.
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This story was originally published July 11, 2026 at 12:15 PM.