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USA Prime Scout Day : Quick Hits

October 28, 2024
Cooper Trinkle
Indiana Scouting Director

On Sunday, October 27th, the Prep Baseball Indiana staff hosted the annual USA Prime Scout Day. Nearly twenty prospects from this organization showcased their abilities in a pro-style workout, with a handful of quality arms in attendance. Read along to find the players that stood out most, along with a full statistical analysis at this link. 

Arm Talent

+ I walked away most impressed with a pair of '27 right-handers, Harper Sturtsman (Manchester) and Lucas Collins (Garrett). Sturtsman is a sturdy, 6-foot-2, 260 pounder with a chance to transform into a real power arm. There is present strength in the lower half, along with easy arm strength, that helped him reach 88 mph on his best bullet. The arm works in a clean, uninterrupted fashion to an over-the-top slot, keeping the ball moving with above average arm speed. The fastball plays with significant carry, averaging 20.9" of IVB that should allow his riding heater to miss bats. Sturtsman showed two above average breaking balls, both working in the low-to-mid 70s, with sweeping shape to the slider and two-plane shape to the curveball. He showed a 75-77 mph changeup, though his other three offerings are a bit ahead at the moment. There are plenty of present traits to like with the strong-armed righty that fills the zone at an above average clip.

+ Collins showed off raw arm talent and hints of his ceiling during his 'pen. A lanky, athletic, 6-foot, 180 pounder - Collins used a shorter, compact arm circle that worked to a 3/4 arm slot. His lower half works in a drop-and-drive fashion, allowing a well-synced arm to produce an 86-88 mph fastball that played from a deceptive slot. Collins showed a 75-77 mph slider that played with sharp, sweeping action and is a present above average pitch. He also showed a low-80s change that played more sinker-like. Though the delivery is raw, there is some athletic bounce in the way that he moves that suggests mechanical refinements can be made. Collins is a '27 arm that cemented himself as a high follow for the class with an impressive bullpen on Sunday.

+ Three juniors that also showed well during bullpens were : RHP Javier Uscanga (Columbus North), RHP Jayden Adorno (Columbus North), and LHP Griffin Morgan (Bluffton). Uscanga, an athletic, 6-foot, 175 pounder, filled the zone with a low ease of operation, showing off some whip to the arm stroke that produced an 85-87 mph fastball for strikes. He complimented a well-located fastball with a softer, low-70s slider, a pitch with upside as he learns to throw it harder. To round out a starters' mix, Uscanga killed spin on a mid 70's splitter that showed late tumble. 

+ Adorno produced the best fastball of the day, sitting 86-88 throughout his bullpen and reaching 89 mph on his best bullet. His fastball played with solid carry, averaging 19" of IVB, to bring swing-and-miss upside. There is developing feel for spin, though he did show the ability to manipulate shape/velocity by throwing a firmer, upper-70s slider and looser, upper-60s curveball. While there is reliever risk with a higher-effort operation and 5-foot-10, 200 pound frame, the arm works to a full circle with a quick turnover to suggest even more velocity is in the tank as he continues to mature. 

+ Morgan was another interesting arm from this event, toeing the rubber with a physical, 6-foot-1, 200 pound frame. The physical southpaw gets into a strong hip load with a tall, inward turn lift, allowing the hips to power a well-sequenced delivery. Morgan shows a higher hand break before the arm works on a longer, deep path with some whip to a deceptive, 3/4 slot that will be a tough look for left-handed hitters. His fastball worked with arm-side run at 83-84, touching 85 mph. The heater tunneled with his best offering, his 72-73 mph slider that spun in the 23-2400s with sweeper properties. There is some over rotation, evident from an open front toe at landing, that creates reliever risk, but the strong frame, deceptive slot, and above average stuff is interesting and Morgan is a '26 southpaw to keep tabs on. 

Top Position Players

+ '26 OF Royce Ward (Cathedral) was the most interesting position player of the day, offering a highly-projectable, 6-foot-4, 175 pound frame that is athletic. Ward turned in a 6.99 60-yard dash before showcasing a simple, left-handed stroke during batting practice. The swing is geared more-towards line-drive contact, and his 90.7 mph peak exit velocity will skyrocket as he adds strength. Another '26 that impressed was SS Max Surdam (Bloomington South). Surdam has matured into an athletic, 6-foot, 170 pounder while making impressive gains since our last look in March. He improved his exit velocity by 8 mph, now reaching 95 mph with an athletic swing from the right side. He also cut his 60 by .24 seconds, turning in a 6.83 60-yard dash. 

Two More Bats to Follow