Mark Appel

Mark Stewart Appel (born July 15, 1991) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He was drafted by the Houston Astros with the first overall pick of the 2013 MLB draft. He has previously 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. Appel was selected with the first overall pick in the 2013 MLB draft by the Astros, who traded him 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.