Kansas City closer Joakim Soria adjusts his cap between pitches to the White Sox during the ninth inning of the Royals' game Tuesday in Kansas City, Mo. Soria will represent the Royals at the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday.

Kansas City, Mo. ? What Judy Garland used to sing about in “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” may actually have basis in fact.

Sometimes, the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true. Just ask a humble-spirited, soft-spoken relief pitcher named Joakim Soria. While toiling away in the Mexican League only two years ago, he would fantasize about pitching in the majors. Wouldn’t it be great to be one of the best?

Now he’s the closer for the Kansas City Royals, and he’ll be off to New York next week as a member of the American League All-Star team.

“It’s the biggest thing in my life, you know, after getting married to my wife,” the right-hander said with a big smile. “I’m proud to represent my team and my city, Kansas City. I feel very good for that.”

The Royals, who list the Mexican-born closer’s age as 24, haven’t had a relief pitcher on the All-Star team since 2003.

“He’s very deserving,” Royals manager Trey Hillman said. “He’s done some outstanding things for a guy who doesn’t have an extensive amount of time at the major-league level.”

With pinpoint control of a 93 mph fastball and command of three other pitches to boot, Soria went into Thursday night’s game against the Chicago White Sox with 23 saves in 25 opportunities and a 1.58 earned-run average in 40 innings. He had struck out 44 and walked only nine and seems to be getting even better after a spectacular rookie season.

“It’s a big year for me so far,” said the 6-foot-3, 185-pound native of Monclova, Mexico. “I’ve got to keep growing and help my team and just enjoy my game. I’m just trying to do my job. I don’t think about (statistics) when I’m pitching.”

General manager Dayton Moore credits Louie Medina, one of his special assistants, for spotting Soria in the Mexican League and bringing him into the fold. Last season as a rookie, while the Royals argued over whether to make him a starter, a setup man or a closer, he had a 2-3 record and a 2.48 ERA in 69 innings.

His 17 saves were 12 more than any other AL rookie and his ERA was third-best among all rookie pitchers in the majors. Now, as far as his manager is concerned, the debate over what to do with the All-Star closer is done.

“We did talk about it during the offseason. But if he’s that effective as a closer, why would you want to … complicate the situation and possibly weaken the back end of your pitching?”

In 13 years as a manager in the New York Yankees’ minor league system, Hillman got to know Mariano Rivera, and he doesn’t argue with those who keep making comparisons.

“Soria doesn’t say a whole lot. But he’s got a lot of very similar qualities in what I’ve seen in another very good closer in New York,” Hillman said. “He doesn’t ever get rattled. He’s got a great ability to set (failure) aside and get back ahead in the count against the very next hitter. You don’t see him fall apart. That’s another of his great strengths.”

Soria came out of the Mexican League with command of a fastball, curveball, slider and changeup.

“He locates with all four of them, and that’s unusual for a closer,” said Royals catcher John Buck. “Rivera, for example, he’s got a fastball which is basically a cutter, and then a slider and a changeup. He never really throws his changeup at all, just his fastball and cutter to righties and lefties.”

His fastball is his strength.

“He can pinpoint it,” Buck said. “If there’s a gnat in my glove, he’ll hit it.”