​PEORIA — Travis Lutz’s longtime baseball dream became a reality Sunday night when his name appeared in the 2026 MLB Draft. The former Limestone High School star was selected in the 17th round of the 20-round first-year player draft by the Cleveland Guardians. The moment carried a special significance for Lutz, who felt a strong connection to Cleveland’s past and Limestone’s legacy.
“Being from Limestone, with Jim Thome’s history there, and Cleveland drafting him, you hear about that legacy, that story, all the time,” Lutz said. “I heard about it all my life. It’s so cool to have that be part of my story now, too.” Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 230 pounds, the right-hander can reach 96 mph with his fastball, sits regularly at 93-94 mph, and mixes in a slider, cutter and changeup to keep hitters off balance.
Lutz spent his fifth and final year of collegiate eligibility at Lamar University in Texas, where he capped the season by earning Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year honors. He posted a 4-3 record with a 3.26 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and 68 strikeouts over 60.2 innings in 16 appearances as a starter and closer. The journey to the pros was winding but filled with milestones that highlighted his versatility and resilience. Bartonville’s Lutz had been drafted by the Guardians in the 17th round on Sunday, July 12, after a career that had taken him from Limestone High School to ICC, Bradley University and Lamar.
“It was stressful for me for the majority of the day,” Lutz, now 22, recalled with a laugh. “Teams start using picks around rounds 6-10 to save money, and I thought I was going in there somewhere. I stopped watching the tracker and spent time with my friends and family, playing with my nephews, at my girlfriend’s pool.” He learned through his agent that Washington had him second on its remaining board in the late rounds Sunday and planned to take him, but the pick before him yielded a different player, so Lutz wasn’t selected by the Nationals.
“I figured I’d go undrafted and sign as a free agent with Washington,” he said. Then the 17th round arrived, and a call from Cleveland came through around 4:40 p.m. The Guardians, he explained, have “such a history of developing pitchers,” and Lutz felt his lifelong dream begin to crystallize. “This is something I’ve been hoping for all my life, and now I’m drafted and have a path ahead. I’m so pumped.”
For Peoria natives following the Thome lineage, Lutz’s draft adds another chapter to the region’s baseball story. He earned Journal Star All-Area honors as Limestone’s standout, and he also played quarterback for the Rockets, setting school records for single-game passing yards (410) and single-season passing yards (2,122). His path continued at ICC, where he helped the Cougars finish third in Region XXIV in 2022, appearing in 12 games on the mound and hitting .313 with six homers as a hitter, along with Academic All-American recognition.
Lutz then moved to Bradley University for three seasons, making 42 appearances from 2023 through 2025 and striking out 161 in 168 career innings. He concluded his college career at Lamar, and in doing so, he found a doorway to professional baseball with Cleveland. His story is a testament to perseverance, adaptability, and the enduring influence of his roots in Limestone and the Peoria area, as he begins a new chapter with the Guardians and a path forward in the professional ranks.