MLB Draft 2013: Houston Astros Select Mark Appel First Overall
By Josh Hill
The Houston Astros have decided that this is the year they want Stanford pitcher Mark Appel. After passing on him in last year’s draft, the Astros took the right-hander with the top pick in the 2013 MLB Draft.
Last year the Astros passed on a chance to draft Appel but there were disputes about the kinds of bonuses he wanted in his contract and he fell to the Pittsburgh Pirates as a result. He never played a game for Pittsburgh as he decided to return to Stanford before once again becoming a top prospect in this year’s draft as well.
There was some thought that Appel would be taken with the second or third pick in the draft but Houston decided they weren’t going to pass on him twice, a move that changed the Chicago Cubs plans and prompted them to draft Kris Bryant, a third baseman from San Diego, with the second pick.
The Minnesota Twins were hoping that Appel might fall to them at fourth overall but ended up going with a different guy who was high on their list in Kohl Stewart from St. Pius X in Texas.
Appel is a guy that some scouts have been lauding as potentially being the next big thing in the Majors but the question is whether or not he’ll be able to transition with the team he’s ben drafted by. Stephen Strasburg happened to fall into a team on the rise but Appel can pitch lights out but fail to pile up wins if he can’t get run support or defense behind him.
Need we remind ourselves of Astros outfielders running into one another on more than one occasion?
Unlike the NFL Draft, it could take years for a top pick to break into the Majors and while we’ve seen a rash of guys making fast impacts of late, don’t hold your breath for Appel to be pitching in the majors over the next year.