Nearly a decade after being selected as MLB overall, RHP Mark Appel will make his major league debut at age 30 for the Philadelphia Phillies today.
Selected to the draft right out of high school by the Detroit Tigers, Appel chose instead to play for the Stanford Cardinal, where he was named the All-American First Team, National Player of the Year, and Pac-12 track and field athlete. of the year in 2012. The Astros tried to invite him in 2012, but he turned them down, along with a rumored $6 million signing bonus. The Pirates also gave him a shot, but he turned them down to go back to school, along with a $3.8 million signing bonus.
Finally, in 2013, Appel was ready to accept the offer to sign the contract and was the first to choose the overall draft (second time that year? Kris Bryant). He was picked (again) by the Houston Astros, where he will Fight through their minor league system for years to come. He never found his place in the various farm teams Houston sent him to, and in 2018 he announced that he would be leaving the sport due to a pocket injury. labrum and cuff.
In 2021, he returns to baseball, pitching Double-A and Triple-A for the Phillies, and today, after nine years of injury and hiatus and minor league performances, Appel was called up. He avoids making history – only two #1 picks in history have never been called (Brien Taylor, Yankees, 1991, and Steven Chilcott, Mets, 1966). Appel will not be the third person.
In a turnaround from his early career struggles, he has recorded a 5-0 and 1.61 ERA this season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Sometimes, there’s a story that reminds us of the power of sports and why we love them so much, even when they stress us out so much. This is one of them – an inspiring, heartwarming story, made for film. The Phillies will face the San Diego Padres tonight. Even if Appel doesn’t throw a shot at the diamond tonight, this is a big (tournament) win for him.
