CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois pitcher Aidan Maldonado was ranked the No. 77 MLB Draft prospect for 2021 by Baseball America, the publication announced. Maldonado, who had a breakout summer in the Cape Cod League in 2019, was in Illinois' starting rotation before the season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Maldonado had a 2-1 record and 3.20 ERA in 19 2/3 innings for the Cape League's Falmouth Commodores last summer. He ranked third on the Cape in strikeouts per nine innings (15.6) during the regular season, helping Falmouth reach the Cape semifinals. The hand-throwing right-hander was off to a 1-2 start with a 5.82 ERA for Illinois. 

D1Baseball.com ranked Maldonado as the No. 11 right-hander overall in the Cape League and the No. 2 sophomore right-hander.