The Guardians beat the Marlins and selected four players in the first four rounds of the 2026 major league draft.
Patrick Bailey doubled in some key insurance runs late yesterday. Since June 1st, Guardians catchers have had a 118 wRC+ which is crazy. Bailey has a 120 wRC+ in high leverage spots for his career (44 in mid-leverage, 75 in low leverage). That shouldn’t be sustainable but, hey, I won’t complain if it is. Steven Kwan is closing in on a month’s of 110 wRC+ play, so let’s hope that continues. However, his defense is just always good and Travis Bazzana and Kwan combined on an insanely high baseball IQ play yesterday:
The Guardians have drafted so far:
19. Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida
Baseball America said:
“6-foot-5, 225 pounds and throws from a steep vertical arm slot. He throws a high-carry four-seam fastball that averages around 96 mph and has been up to 100. His fastball has clear plus traits and power, but he needs to improve his command to avoid throwing middle-middle heaters that get hit hard. All three of his secondaries are standout swing-and-miss pitches. A high-spin slider in the upper-80s is his go-to secondary and a clear plus offering with sharp biting action that helped him generate a 51% miss rate. He throws the pitch nearly half the time against righties. Against lefties, Peterson will mix in a mid-80s changeup and a curveball around 80 mph. While Peterson has less confidence and feel for his changeup and curveball, they are also potential plus pitches that vex hitters when he can consistently put them over the plate. Peterson has tinkered with his arm slot over the years and is a below-average strike-thrower. He has obvious upside potential as a starter, but will need to make strides with his control and command to stick in that role.”
59. Logan Schmidt, LHP, Ganesha HS
Baseball America said:
“Schmidt has a 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame and an easy, repeatable delivery that features a three-quarters slot and a consistently balanced finish. He has a starter’s operation and advanced feel to spot a three-pitch mix. After touching 97 mph on the 2025 circuit, Schmidt pushed his fastball up to 98 during his senior spring season and was consistently throwing the pitch in the mid 90s. He attacks the zone with his fastball and can locate it to both sides of the plate to get ahead in counts and set up his secondaries. Schmidt’s 78-82 mph breaking ball is his go-to secondary and a slurvy in-between offering that varies between a curveball and slider. He throws it with solid movement and shape to build on, and scouts believe he’ll be able to add a harder true slider in the future. Against righties, Schmidt is confident in a mid-to-upper-80s changeup that he sells with great arm speed and has above-average potential.”
95. Tre Broussard, LHH CF, Houston
Baseball America said;
“He’s a 6-foot, 190-pound outfielder with dynamic speed and one of the best center field gloves in the class. Broussard missed time early in 2026 with a hamstring injury but hit .344/.436/.472 in 44 games while stealing 25 bases. Broussard has an old-school leadoff skill set, with a hit-over-power profile and plenty of speed. He added a bit of strength and traded some contact for power in 2026 but still profiles as a 50-55 pure hitter with below-average game power. Broussard has an upright and open setup, with a leg kick to get his swing going. He makes solid swing decisions, keeps his strikeouts in check and has a downhill bat path that is more conducive to groundballs and low line drives. That approach and swing should work for his tool set, because Broussard is a 70-grade runner who creates pressure on infield defenses and opposing batteries. He’s a high-volume and efficient basestealer who went 56-for-64 (88%) in two years at Houston. Broussard is one of the better center field defenders in the class.”
131. Kade Lewis, LHH 1B/3B, Wake Forest
Baseball America said:
“He’s a 6-foot-2, 220-pound lefthanded hitter with a buttery smooth lefthanded swing and sound approach. He has a quiet setup and a low-maintenance swing with a slight uphill path but an all-fields approach and a knack for the barrel. He can drive the ball with solid power to both gaps and has gotten to consistent pullside home run power with metal bats, but his wood bat track record is more limited, and his raw power could be more conducive to a hit-over-power profile. That could make his defensive profile a challenge, as Lewis is a below-average runner and more of a first base defender than a third baseman. He was Wake Forest’s primary first baseman in 2026, and might be able to handle an outfield corner, but his value will primarily come from the damage he’s able to do in the batter’s box.”
You can read Baseball America scouting reports here. You can also listen to their post draft podcast and at the very end of it, minute 56, they rave about the Guardians’ draft. So, that’s good!
Rounds 5-20 resume today at 1PM ET on MLB Network and the Guardians wrap up pre-All-Star Game play at 1:40 PM ET, looking for a sweep of the Marlins.
AROUND MLB:
The Twins and White Sox won and Tigers and Royals lost.
