2026 MLB Draft Player Profile: Liam Peterson (SP)
Hunter Dietz and Liam Peterson have many similarities. They are both SEC starting pitchers, they went to the same highschool, and they both had a tough going in their first start of the 2026 college baseball season. In what should have been a tune-up series and a chance for Friday night ace and potential first round MLB Draft pick Liam Peterson to show off his stuff, the UAB Blazers jumped on him early in the game to secure a 9-7 win over the Florida Gators.
Peterson’s nightmare start began with giving up a single to Kevin Hall Jr., walking Alex Dupuy, allowing those two guys to steal third and second, followed up by a sacrifice fly ball to score the first run. With so much traffic on the base paths, a reach on an error by first base men Brady Waugh brought another run in before the inning was over. A very clean second inning by Peterson was followed up by more of the same first inning shenanigans in the third, leading to his early retirement from the contest.
Since the end of the 2025 season, Peterson’s name has floated around 2026 Draft boards and college baseball talk shows as one of the best pitchers in the SEC and available in the 2026 Draft. Commonly discussed as a tick behind Coastal Carolina starter Cameron Flukey, and likely now Jackson Flora as well, Peterson is one of the big three upper first round college arm talents available for MLB organizations this summer.
Liam began his college career in 2024 as a freshman at the University of Florida. Even as a young freshmen, the Gators coaching staff trusted Peterson with 16 total starts and over 63 innings of baseball. His first year was a season of development as he posted a 6.43 ERA but also an 11.0 K/9. Peterson returned to Gainesville in 2025 with steady improvement. He brought his ERA down to a low 4.28 and improved his strikeout numbers to a 12.5 K/9. He also dropped his walks from 44 to 32 in a comparable number of innings.
Peterson has an inconsistent upper 90s fastball that sits near 96 but can ramp up to 99 mph. The inconsistency comes with its movement, at times showing effective movement but other times flattening out and increasing the possibility of quality hits for experienced batters. Peterson’s best swing and miss pitch is his mid 80 slider. He also uses an effective high 70s curveball and a mid 80s changeup that he uses well in conjunction with his fastball. His control is serviceable at the college level but showing real improvement in 2026 and beyond could really push his ceiling to the Major League level. Peterson’s 6’5 frame, three (to four) plus pitches, and SEC experience make him a hot commodity this July.
Peterson’s stuff is undeniably first round quality, the question is can he put it all together for a successful SEC campaign that highlights his control over his plus toolbox of pitches. If last Friday’s blowup against UAB was just the result of first start rustiness, then expect a big performance this Friday against Kennesaw State out of Peterson. If his control issues still persist, be prepared for Peterson to slip deeper into the middle of the first round, as MLB organizations add a year or two of extra development time needed to see that he is big league ready when he does make his eventual Major League debut.
The mid-first round has some interesting landing spots if Peterson’s current ranking translates to July. He would immediately be at the top of the Los Angeles Angels system, likely pairing up with Tyler Bremner in a couple years as the team’s one-two punch if all things fall in favor for these two prospects. The Marlins could add even more depth to their pitching factory, and the Texas Rangers system is in desperate need of any kind of value to prop up their dwindling farm system.
TBG’s Prediction:
Fastball: 60
Curveball: 60
Slider: 60
Changeup: 50
Control: 45
Falls to the middle to late first round.
Will Peterson bounce back against Kennesaw State this weekend?