Sam Selman in 2016. Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
Sam Selman’s first honor came Wednesday.
His next — the one he’s been waiting for his entire life — is getting closer.
The Triple-A Sacramento reliever was named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star Game, one of three in that bullpen to get the nod (alongside Fernando Abad and Pat Venditte).
Selman is not your ordinary prospect, a 28-year-old who couldn’t break through into the majors with Kansas City, always piling up strikeouts but walks, too.
That’s changed in the San Francisco system, and he’s dominated PCL competition, striking out 14.87 batters per nine innings (49 in 29 2/3 innings). He’s walked eight and carries a 1.82 ERA in a hitters’ league, his low-90s fastball and hard slider being his weapons of choice.
Selman, a 2012 second-round pick, was Vanderbilt teammates — and Sacramento teammates for a few weeks — with Mike Yastrzemski.
His stuff is “unbelievable,” Yastrzemski told KNBR on Thursday before the Giants lost, 5-1, to the Diamondbacks at Oracle Park. “From the time I knew him at school to now, he was a completely, completely different pitcher. His stuff is lights-out right now.”
What’s the scouting report?
“His command is unbelievable,” Yastrzemski said of the lefty. “He really worked to develop his slider. He’s just got that confidence right now that’s really working for him.”
As each day and each loss brings the Giants closer to the trade deadline, Selman will be among the first to be called up when the likes of Will Smith are gone.
“Something happens, obviously, he’s a guy throwing the ball well,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “There’s quite a few down there doing great. … It’s nice to see our system get stronger.”
For Yastrzemski, a biased witness, Selman looked ready for the call-up, and his friend said he would “really fit in well and do well.” Yastrzemski and Selman were in the same year at Vanderbilt, though Selman left school to turn pro a year earlier.
“We were good friends, then went different directions for six years, then met up again and it was like we never missed a beat,” Yastrzemski said. “It was fun.”