Former Houston Astros top draft pick Mark Appel is stepping away from the game of baseball, although is not calling it a retirement.
There were high hopes for Mark Appel when he was selected with the first overall selection in the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft by the Houston Astros. He had been projected to be the first overall selection in the previous year, but fell to the Pittsburgh Pirates with the eighth pick. Gambling on himself, he returned to college, and finally received that expected draft slot.
Appel lived up to expectations in his first season as a professional. He appeared in ten games that year, earning a promotion to A-ball after just two outings. That year, he produced a combined 3.76 ERA and a 1.184 WHiP. In his 38 innings, Appel struck out 33 batters while issuing only nine walks. Unsurprisingly, he entered the 2014 campaign as a consensus top 40 prospect, a player expected to be the ace of the next Astros postseason run.
Instead, Appel’s career came to a crashing halt. In a candid interview with BleacherReport.com, Appel said he was the worst pitcher in the game that year. The nadir came when he threw upwards of 80 fastballs through a particle board partition in his clubhouse during a fit of frustration. That year saw Appel post a 3-7 record, with a 6.91 ERA and a 1.596 WHiP. He still had solid command, but was getting hammered.
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Yet, there was reason for hope. Appel actually performed well at AA, posting a 3.69 ERA and a 1.231 WHiP, striking out 38 batters in 39 innings. That solid performance carried over into the Arizona Fall League that year, and the hope was that he had turned a corner. Again, Appel was a consensus top 100 prospect heading into the 2015 campaign, as it was hoped he would take the next step.
While he was not terrible, Appel stagnated. He would reach AAA, but was unable to take that expected step into remaining a phenom. The Astros gave up on him after the 2015 campaign, making him a throw in player as part of the Ken Giles trade.
A new beginning and change of scenery did not matter with Appel. He remained the same middling pitcher, someone who no longer appeared to be a prospect. That assessment was hammered home after this most reason campaign, when the Phillies removed Appel from the 40 man roster in favor of protecting several pitching prospects from the Rule V Draft.
And now, just over two months later, Appel is stepping away from the game. He is looking to pursue a business career, putting his degree from Stanford to use. He has applied to business school at several different universities, including Stanford and Texas A&M. Appel is also refusing to say that he is retiring, and is leaving the door open that he could return at some point.
If this is, indeed, the end for Appel, he may be the biggest disappointment of any first round draft pick. He would join the infamous duo of Steven Chilcott and Brein Taylor as first overall draft picks to not reach the majors. It is not exactly a grouping that anyone wants to be part of.
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Former Houston Astros first overall selection Mark Appel is stepping away from the game. Just how long he will be away remains to be seen.