Liam Peterson

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #3 prospect in 2026 draft
  School:Florida Age At Draft: 21.1
  
  The 2026 draft cycle is roughly half a year from even beginning, but the race for "SP1" will be fascinating. Five arms have a realistic path to being the first college arm off the board. After collecting 77 strikeouts across 63 innings last spring, Peterson is off to an excellent start this season. The 6-foot-5 righthander features a mid-90s fastball that flashes ample carry through the zone. He pairs it with a mid-to-upper-80s slider that flashes sharp, two-plane tilt and an upper-70s curveball that is distinct in shape and flashes depth. It’s still early, but Peterson’s command appears to have taken a step in the right direction, which is a positive development.
• Ranked #5 prospect in 2026 draft
  School: Florida Age At Draft: 21.1
  
  Peterson last year cemented himself as one of the best freshman arms in the country and collected 77 strikeouts across 63 innings. Peterson picked up right where he left off—and then some—and pitched to a 4.28 ERA with a career-best 96 strikeouts across 69.1 innings. The 6-foot-5 righthander features a mid-to-upper-90s fastball that flashes ample carry through the zone, a pitch he pairs with a mid-to-upper-80s slider that flashes sharp two-plane tilt, an above-average high-80s changeup that flashes both tumble and fade and a seldom-used high-70s-to-low-80s curveball that’s distinct in shape from his slider. Peterson’s slider and changeup both generated a whiff rate of 43% and his strike-throwing took a step forward since last season.
• Ranked #91 prospect in 2023 draft
  School: Calvary Christian HS, Clearwater, Fla. Source: HS
  
  Commit/Drafted: Florida
  Age At Draft: 18.1
  BA Grade:50/Extreme
  Tools:Fastball: 55. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 45.
  
  Peterson has a promising mix of physical projection and stuff that continues to trend up as one of the younger players in the 2023 class. Listed at 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, Peterson has a lean frame that has strength now but plenty of room for more weight, and attacks hitters with a fast and loose arm from a three-quarter slot and with some crossfiring action in his finish. After pitching in the upper 80s during the summer of 2021, Peterson was consistently in the lower 90s in 2022, sitting around 93-94 mph in one- or two-inning stints and touching 96 at peak velocity. On top of a fastball that could become a plus pitch with more strength, Peterson has a breaking ball in the 77-81 mph range that blends between slider and curveball shape, but features solid spin and bite and has earned 60-grade projections. A low-80s changeup that could become an average offering in the future rounds out his repertoire. Peterson’s control came and went at times throughout the showcase circuit in 2022, and he’ll especially need to refine his fastball command. Peterson doesn’t turn 18 until June and has generated top-three round buzz. He is committed to Florida.