Who is Brock Selvidge, one of two Yankees prospects bound for All-Star Futures?

Two standout players from the New York Yankees’ Double-A affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, have been selected for this year’s All-Star Futures Game. Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday that left-handed pitcher Brock Selvidge and outfielder Spencer Jones would represent the American League team at the event, set for July 13 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Ranked as the Yankees’ No. 10 prospect by MLB Pipeline, Brock Selvidge will make his debut appearance in the Futures Game. The left-hander was the Yankees’ third-round draft pick in 2021 out of Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona.

In 2023, Brock Selvidge had a strong first full season, posting an 8-5 record, 3.45 ERA, and 9.66 K/9 across 24 starts in A-ball. This season, the Yankees rookie has progressed to Double-A Somerset, where he uses a four-pitch mix featuring a fastball in the 91-93 mph range. In his first three outings at this level, Brock Selvidge has recorded a 2.57 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 14 innings.

Brock Selvidge, 21, expressed his gratitude for the chance to represent the Yankees organization, acknowledging the team’s storied history and his excitement for the prestigious event.

“I’m just blessed and honored to represent an organization like the Yankees,” he said. “Growing up, big baseball fan, the Yankees are the most talked about, I would say, and just to be able to represent them and be in that atmosphere I think is gonna be incredible. I think I’m just excited to go out and do what I can to best represent and hopefully go win.”

Yankees’ rookie Brock Selvidge is on fire this season

The New York Yankees’ third-round 2021 draft pick is making notable progress in his first season at Double-A with the Somerset Patriots. Over 15 starts, Brock Selvidge has recorded a 3.95 ERA, tallying 80 strikeouts and 39 walks across 79.2 innings.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Brock Selvidge employs a varied pitch mix that includes a fastball, changeup, sweeping slider, and a cutter he describes as a gyro slider. The left-handed pitcher highlighted the significance of making adjustments at this level, emphasizing the role of catch play and bullpen sessions in his game preparation.

“I think it’s been on the upslope, I think it’s been doing good, I think just because I’ve been throwing it more,” the Yankees prospect said. “I think the more I throw it, the more comfortable I get with it. Obviously the more I throw it, the more counts I’m gonna be able to utilize it in. So I think for me it’s just consistency and staying on that path of just, ‘I’m gonna throw it and I’m gonna trust it. I’m gonna trust the movement, I’m gonna trust the prep and it’s gonna be work because I’ve been working on it.’ That definitely is and will be a bigger change in my game moving forward.”

The Yankees prospect pointed to his cutter as his most effective pitch for inducing swings and misses, noting it has been his primary weapon for about 18 months. Brock Selvidge emphasized the importance of throwing this pitch with maximum intent and confidence.

The young pitcher also mentioned improvements in his spin rate this season but stressed his focus on getting ahead in counts and executing with two strikes. Brock Selvidge has worked on balancing his pitch usage, particularly increasing the deployment of his changeup compared to last season.

Brock Selvidge shared his optimism about his progress, particularly regarding his changeup. He credited its improvement to increased usage, which has boosted his confidence and ability to deploy the pitch in various situations. The pitching prospect emphasized the importance of consistency and trust in both the movement of the pitch and his preparation.

“It has been, I would say, my bread and butter for probably about a year and a half, but I think the usage that I throw that with and the intent that I throw that with, it plays well as long as I’m throwing pitches with max intent and confidence,” Brock Selvidge said. “Everything I have moves in towards the righty, so I think that changeup is gonna be the killer for me. I think that’s gonna be what gets me strikeouts and that’s gonna be what gets me ahead in the count early. So I think that pitch is what’s gonna make me take that next step.”

The New York Yankees farm hand pointed out that the changeup, which moves away from right-handed batters, sets itself apart from his other pitches. He sees this pitch as crucial for getting ahead in counts and securing strikeouts, potentially enhancing his overall performance.

Looking forward to the All-Star Futures Game, Brock Selvidge expressed excitement about competing alongside teammate Jones and reconnecting with other prospects, including Boston Red Sox top prospect Marcelo Mayer, whom he befriended during youth travel ball.

Yankees prospect with a huge future

Baseball America ranked Brock Selvidge 11th in the Yankees’ system, emphasizing the importance of refining his changeup and cutter for his development as a starter. They also noted potential mechanical adjustments that could enhance his performance.

FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen placed Brock Selvidge 18th, praising his effectiveness against left-handed hitters due to his deceptive arm swing and slider. Longenhagen sees his future either as a deceptive long reliever or a fifth starter.

He has shown flashes of brilliance, such as his April 27 performance with 11 strikeouts and 21 swings and misses. However, consistency remains a challenge. His progress will depend on maintaining high performance against Double-A hitters.

As Selvidge prepares for the Futures Game, these evaluations highlight both his potential and the areas needing improvement for him to advance within the Yankees’ organization. He is determined to showcase the Yankees’ style of play during the valuable exposure on a national stage.

“We’re gonna go out there, we’re gonna show how Yankees play and we’re gonna do our best to get a win,” Brock Selvidge said. “I’m ready to be in the atmosphere of all those great players and just be around them and feed off of everybody. Obviously that’s what’s gonna build the competitiveness is just being around the great talent.”

What do you think? Leave your comment below.