The Cleveland Guardians have a strong recent history of first-round picks in the MLB Draft. That is highlighted by the presence of outfielder Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana as rookies on this year’s team.
DeLauter has emerged as a legitimate AL Rookie of the Year candidate despite a limited minor league career after he was the No. 16 overall pick in the 2022 draft. Bazzana had an even higher profile after the second baseman was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft.
Now, with the 2026 MLB Draft approaching this July, speculation is starting to build about who the Guardians will select with the No. 19 overall pick, and ESPN has them landing an intriguing pitching prospect in its latest mock: USC left-hander Mason Edwards.
“Edwards is another example of that — a lefty with above-average stuff and some relief risk but gaudy numbers this spring. I think this is also around where the prep left-hander group (Logan Schmidt, Gio Rojas, Carson Bolemon, Brody Bumila, Sean Duncan) all start being taken seriously as options,” Kiley McDaniel wrote.
ESPN recently called Edwards “one of the most dominant pitchers in college baseball” this season, and his numbers certainly back up that statement. After starting the year with 29 consecutive scoreless innings, he is 8-0 with a 1.61 ERA in his 13 starts. He has 142 strikeouts in 78.1 innings, and opponents are batting .142 against him.
Edwards was recently named one of the 25 semifinalists for the 2026 Golden Spikes Award, which is annually given to the country’s best amateur player. He is also considered a frontrunner for the National Pitcher of the Year award.
Edwards was not considered a top recruit coming out of high school and had a 7.88 ERA as a freshman. Now, he has the vaunted USC program in line for its first College World Series appearance since 2001.
In other mock drafts, the Guardians have been linked to Arizona State pitcher Cole Carton and Virginia outfielder A.J. Gracia. Last year, Cleveland selected power-hitting Texas A&M outfielder Jace LaViolette at No. 27 overall, and he has five home runs in his first pro season at Single-A+.
The Guardians also had the No. 29 overall pick in this year’s draft as a competitive balance selection, but they included it in the recent trade with the San Francisco Giants that brought catcher Patrick Bailey to Cleveland.
NEXT: Guardians Make Notable Jump In Latest Power Rankings
