Mark Appel | |
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![]() Appel with the Houston Astros organization in 2014 | |
Free agent | |
Pitcher | |
Born: Houston, Texas, U.S. | July 15, 1991|
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
MLB debut | |
June 29, 2022, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
MLB statistics (through 2022 season) | |
Win–loss record | 0–0 |
Earned run average | 1.74 |
Strikeouts | 5 |
Teams | |
Mark Stewart Appel (born July 15, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Houston Astros with the first overall pick of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies.
After being drafted out of high school by the Detroit Tigers in 2009, Appel elected to attend Stanford University and play for the Stanford Cardinal baseball team. Named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's Pitcher of the Year in 2012, he was projected as the first overall draft choice in the 2012 MLB draft, but fell in the draft due to signability concerns. Appel did not sign after being selected eighth overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates, returning to Stanford for his senior season.
The Houston Astros selected him with the first overall pick in the 2013 MLB draft, and he signed with them. Appel was traded to the Phillies after the 2015 season. After continued struggles, he was designated for assignment by the Phillies on November 20, 2017. In February 2018, at the age of 26, Appel announced that he was stepping away from baseball. He returned to the Phillies organization in March 2021 to attempt a comeback, and made his major league debut in June 2022.