The crowd is on its feet as Mark Appel ends his baseball career. :39
Mark Appel, a month shy of his 31st birthday, made his major debut Wednesday night and pitched a flawless ninth for the Philadelphia Phils.
At 30 years and 349 days, Appel is the oldest former top pick from the June draft to ever play in the MLB.
The right-handed pitcher gave up one hit and recorded a strikeout in Philadelphia's loss to Atlanta.
It's pretty strange.
| Player | Drafted | Debut | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Appel | 2013 | 2022 | 30-349 |
| Matt Bush | 2004 | 2016 | 30-95 |
| Tim Belcher | 1983 | 1987 | 25-322 |
| Josh Hamilton | 1999 | 2007 | 25-316 |
| -- ESPN Stats & Information |
He was part of a trade that brought him to Philadelphia. After leaving baseball due to injuries and ineffectiveness, he returned to the Philadelphia organization in 2021.
In the past two seasons, he has pitched in Double- and Triple-A for the Philadelphia organization. He was promoted to the majors last Saturday after he had a perfect record in 19 appearances for the Valley.
The journey was a part of what made Wednesday's game so special, and as he walked off the mound, he was overcome with emotion.
He said that he remembered two, three years ago. It has never been a straight line for me. I was lost even in that process. There were times when I thought this dream wouldn't come true. I was teary eyed.
His teammates were aware of the magnitude of the moment.
It was cool to see him run in from the pitchers' mound. I peeked at him before second baseman. Is it just a grin? It's not possible to keep it in.
One of the most decorated pitchers in NCAA history, Appel was drafted eighth overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2012 but he returned to Stanford for his senior season and the Astros selected him first in 2013).
The AP contributed to the report.
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