Sam Selman

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #31 prospect in 2015
  When the Royals took Selman in the second round of the 2012 draft, they had designs on developing the Vanderbilt southpaw as a starter. His delivery has prompted the organization to table that idea, however. His long arm stroke begins with a wrap in the back, a pronounced shoulder tilt and a late takeaway from his glove. All of that makes it hard for him to repeat his delivery consistently, and he has walked 5.2 batters per nine innings for his career. As Selman focused on throwing strikes--without success--his previously plus stuff became average to fringe-average. The Royals finally decided to move him to the bullpen halfway through the 2014 season. That allowed him to get back to the 93-95 mph fastball he had shown in the past. Selman's funky delivery adds deception in addition to wildness, and the move to the pen allowed him to focus on sharpening his fringe-average slider. He gets plenty of swings and misses, but much like former Royals prospect Kevin Chapman, Selman's wildness doesn't allow him to take advantage of it. He will head to Triple-A Omaha in 2015 to try to make it as a lefty power reliever.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #12 prospect in 2014
  After an excellent 2012 pro debut, the ghost of Sam Selman past returned in large part in 2013. He showed many of the same control and delivery issues that affected much of his career at Vanderbilt. Even when he was missing his spots repeatedly, Selman proved very hard to square up--he held opponents to a .197 average and .268 slugging percentage. On the other hand, he led the high Class A Carolina League in walks (85) and ranked second with 14 hit batters. His poor command stems from an inability to consistently stay back over the rubber and a wrist wrap that makes his long arm action hard to repeat. Too often Selman's arm is trying to catch up to his body, which also affects how much break he gets on his curveball and slider. The curveball is fringe-average at best, while the slider flashes above-average when he's maintaining his delivery. After sitting 90-95 mph and touching 98 in 2012, Selman backed off his velocity to 88-93 as he tried to throw strikes. His heater still is an above-average pitch when he locates because it's hard to lift. His changeup has improved significantly since signing to become a fringe-average pitch. Everything about Selman's potential revolves around his control and his delivery. He'll try to sort it out at Double-A Northwest Arkansas in 2014.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #6 prospect in 2013
  Selman totaled just 12 innings as a freshman and sophomore at Vanderbilt because of control problems, and he was demoted to a midweek starter as a junior when they persisted. He recovered, returned to the weekend rotation in May and pitched his way into the second round of the 2012 draft. The Royals signed him for $750,000 and then watched him lead the Pioneer League with 89 strikeouts despite falling one inning short of qualifying for the ERA title. Even as a 160-pound high school senior, Selman could touch 94 mph. Now that he's a much more robust 195-pounder, he sits at 90-95 mph and peaks at 98. He also snaps off a nasty slider at times, giving him the potential for two plus pitches. His changeup is fringy at best. He showed improvement with his control as a pro, but it's still a concern. He has a wrap in his arm action that inhibits his ability to repeat his release point and secondary pitches. Once projected as a power lefty out of the bullpen, Selman now has a realistic chance at becoming a mid-rotation starter. He'll open his first full season at one of Kansas City's Class A affiliates, with his ability to find the strike zone dictating how quickly he advances.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #146 prospect in 2012 draft
  The Angels made a serious run at Selman when he was coming out of high school in Austin, Texas, drafting him in the 14th round. Selman instead headed to Vanderbilt, but he has not broken through as a star at the college level, in part because he pitched just 12 innings in his first two seasons for the Commodores. He got his work in the Northwoods League the last two summers, working a combined 86 innings and going 2-4, 3.89 for Mankato. Selman got his chance this spring but pitched his way out of the weekend rotation before working his way back into the mix, and his 8-3, 4.03 mark made him Vandy's most successful starter. He has added strength to his slender, 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame (he was 160 as a freshman), and he maintains his fastball velocity more consistently, sitting 91-94 mph and reaching 95. His inexperience on the mound shows, as he's not adept at making adjustments on his own, and scouts question his feel for pitching. His secondary stuff lacks consistency, and a wrap in his arm action inhibits both his control and release point on his slider and changeup. Selman has upside and needs innings, but he may not be an easy sign even as a Vanderbilt junior.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Pioneer League #8 prospect in 2012
  After an inconsistent college career at Vanderbilt, Selman dominated in his first taste of pro ball. The league's pitcher of the year, he led the circuit with 89 strikeouts. If he hadn't fallen one-third of an inning shy of qualifying, he also would have topped the Pioneer League in ERA (2.09), strikeouts per nine innings (13.3) and opponent average (.204). Selman works with a 92-94 mph fastball that flashes as high as 96, making him a true lefthanded power arm. His best secondary pitch is his slider, a plus offering at times and one that overmatched Pioneer League hitters. He's in the process of developing a changeup and refining his command.

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: Selman totaled just 12 innings as a freshman and sophomore at Vanderbilt because of control problems, and he was demoted to a midweek starter as a junior when they persisted. He recovered, returned to the weekend rotation in May and pitched his way into the second round of the 2012 draft. The Royals signed him for $750,000 and then watched him lead the Pioneer League with 89 strikeouts despite falling one inning short of having enough innings to qualify for the ERA title. Scouting Report: Even as a 160-pound high school senior, Selman could touch 94 mph. Now that he's a much more robust 195-pounder, he sits at 90-95 mph and peaks at 98. He also snaps off a nasty slider at times, giving him the potential for two plus pitches. His changeup is fringy at best. Selman showed improvement with his control as a pro, but it's still a concern. He has a wrap in his arm action that inhibits his ability to repeat his release point and secondary pitches. The Future: Once projected as a power lefty out of the bullpen, Selman now has a realistic chance at becoming a mid-rotation starter. He'll open his first full season at one of Kansas City's Class A affiliates, with his ability to find the strike zone dictating how quickly he advances.