The Cleveland Guardians have relied on the MLB Draft as a big part of the foundation of their franchise. Widely recognized as having one of the best farm systems in the game, the Guardians have been able to stockpile talent over the past several years.
That trend looks to have continued in the 2026 MLB Draft. Starting with the No. 19 overall pick, which it used to select University of Florida pitcher Liam Peterson, Cleveland chose 20 new players, including high school pitcher Logan Schmidt in the second round and University of Houston outfielder Tre Broussard in the third round.
The Guardians are earning notable praise from CBS Sports for their 2026 draft class, with a variety of standouts who could potentially make it to the major leagues.
“The Guardians are as good at developing pitchers as any team in the game, and Peterson and Schmidt are two talented balls of pitching clay for their player development folks. That also applies to Texas high school RHP Savion Sims (7th round) and Georgia RHP Matt Scott (8th round). Broussard, Wake Forest 3B Kade Lewis (4th round), and Louisville OF Lucas Moore (5th round) are quality college bats with different skill sets. Love the pitching, love the diversity in the bats,” Mike Axisa wrote.
Peterson is an intriguing prospect whose college results did not correlate with his talent. Over three seasons at Florida, the 6-foot-5 right-hander was 14-16 with a 5.03 ERA. He had 284 strikeouts in 216.2 innings, but he also allowed 215 hits, 112 walks, and 35 home runs.
Schmidt does not turn 18 until later this month, but the 6-foot-4 lefty is already capable of throwing his fastball up to 97 mph. He is committed to playing at LSU, so he is likely years away from the big leagues.
Broussard is a unique player in that he relies on speed and bat control over power. With 56 stolen bases in his last two college seasons, he could be a hidden gem who adds a different element to a Guardians system headlined by power hitters Ralphy Velazquez and Jace LaViolette, each of whom was a first-round pick.
The Guardians’ draft success can be clearly seen on its current roster, with rookies Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana, who was the No. 1 overall pick in 2024, propelling the offense, and pitchers Gavin Williams, Parker Messick, and Tanner Bibee manning the starting rotation. Almost all of their key players are under club control for several more seasons, which could make it difficult for these new prospects to find a role quickly.
But if their talent does match up with their projections, Cleveland should be well-positioned, as usual, going forward.
NEXT: Travis Bazzana Reflects On His Path To The All-Star Game
