Former No. 1 pick Mark Appel makes MLB debut nine years after being drafted
(CNN) It was nine years in the making, but former No. 1 Mark Appel made his MLB debut on Wednesday following a turbulent start to his career due to injuries and mental health issues.
Selected by the Houston Astros with the No. 1 pick in the 2013 MLB Draft, Appel made his debut with the Philadelphia Phillies , entering in the ninth and pitching a scoreless inning in a 4-1 loss.
“One of the things that I came into this year knowing is that each day might be my last, and genuinely, I was at a point where I was just trying to figure out what my role was, reliever, starter, do I still have it in me to put up good numbers, things like that, so I was like if each day was going to be my last, I might as well enjoy it and I really enjoyed tonight,” Appel said after the game.
Less than a month before turning 31, Appel becomes the oldest No. 1 pick in baseball history to make their MLB debut.
The Phillies acquired the right-hander in a 2015 deal that sent closer Ken Giles to Houston. After struggling in the Phillies minor league system, Appel was designated for assignment in 2017 and eventually retired in 2018.
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