CLEARWATER, Fla. – Three years after retiring from baseball as a rare No. 1 pick that had never reached the majors, Mark Appel has prepared for the comeback.
Appel, 29, will soon be performing at the Phillies complex for minor league spring training, according to several sources. The Phillies continue to have the rights to Appeal after announcing on Feb. 1, 2018 that they would take an “indefinite break” from baseball. He was designated for the assignment after the 2017 season and was not claimed by the other 29 Major League Baseball teams.
The Astros first drafted Appel, a Houston native, in 2013 and envisioned it as a staple in its ambitious reconstruction. Then they won the world series without him participating. Appel was frank about his mental struggles as the pressure of being a No. 1 was getting heavier.
Only two No.