The Illinois baseball program just found the perfect complement for superstar Aidan Flinn.
Flinn, a 2026 freshman All-American, became a must-see attraction with the Illini, recording a 2.79 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 61.1 innings pitched. The 6-foot-6 lefty was absolutely sensational, holding opposing hitters to a minuscule .178 batting average.
Flinn was certainly the highlight of Dan Hartleb's rotation, especially with his staff ranking No. 107 in the country with a 5.46 ERA. That can certainly change for the better in two years after the commitment from righty Gradon Leonard.
— Graydon Leonard (@LeonardGraydon) August 13, 2026
Leonard, a senior at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School, has been lights-out throughout his high school career. In 11 appearances last season, he recorded a 1.78 ERA and 101 strikeouts through 55 innings of work.
The 6-foot-2 righty also knows how to swing the lumber for Gibson City, recording a slash line of .396/.496/.583 in his junior year. The newly committed Illini will be a major part of GCMS's success this upcoming season, as the Falcons will look to secure their fourth straight IHSA class 1A regional championship.
Dan Hartleb will have a two-headed monster in his Illinois rotation when Graydon Leonard arrives in Champaign
Illinois baseball had a bit of a rough season in 2026, finishing with an overall record of 28-27 and a conference record of 14-16. It was a bit of a roller coaster for Hartleb's crew, as they did have some signature wins, but ended up dropping a lot of games that they desperately needed.
Thankfully, there were a lot of positives that came from last season, with one being the rise of Flinn. He became a pillar for Illinois' future and someone who Hartleb could build around, with arms like Leonard's.
In 2028, Leonard will bring a fastball that tops out at 93 MPH and a devastating slider with late sweeping action that can reach the upper 70s. If he can continue to maintain those metrics, if not add on to them when he arrives in Champaign, then who knows what he can accomplish at the college level.
Simply put, don't expect Leonard to be mowing people down right out of the gate, as Flinn himself had to work his way into the starting rotation. Also, don't be surprised if he gets there sooner rather than later, as he has the tools to be a legit threat in the Big Ten.
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