Former pitching prodigy Mark Appel retired from baseball at 26, making him one of only a handful of No. 1 picks to never reach the big leagues. Now 30, the Stanford alum returned to affiliated baseball after a three-year hiatus this spring, attempting a comeback with the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley. Appel hasn't set the world on fire by any stretch, sporting a pedestrian 5.71 ERA across 17 appearances (58 1/3 innings) for Lehigh Valley and Double-A Reading. But after years of self-reflection, literally distancing himself from his army of critics (many of whom labeled him a draft "bust" and "underachiever"), Appel has learned to control his expectations, staying in the moment and enjoying the process instead of always looking ahead.
"The bar was set pretty low," admitted Appel, who plans to enroll in business school once his playing days are over. "There are things where I'm really happy with some of the progress that I've been able to make, especially given the break that I had, and there are things that I still am hungry to get better at."
Making it to the show would be a dream come true for Appel, reversing the narrative that has long haunted him as a prep and college star who never measured up in the pros. But Appel isn't holding his breath on seeing the mound in Philadelphia this year, refusing to let his on-field success—or failure—define him. "There's so much about life that we miss out on when we're just focused on trying to be the best baseball player that we can," Appel relayed to Howard Megdal of FiveThirtyEight.com. "When you live in that place, it's like your good games feel great, you're invincible, and your bad games feel like you can't figure anything out. And you're the worst player ever. And neither of those are true."
Appel's new mindset, prioritizing balance and mental health over results, has been a blessing at times. The 6'5" right-hander fired a gem last week, holding Scranton/Wilkes-Barre scoreless over six dominant innings. Appel followed that up with a dreadful outing next time out against Rochester, surrendering five runs, three hits and two walks in just an inning of work. But unlike a few years ago when a setback like that would have sent him spiraling, the veteran has gained a much healthier perspective, learning to accept the good with the bad.
"I have to focus only on the dirt that I'm standing on in the middle of the field. I can't control much else beyond that," said Appel. "I care more about what happens in the clubhouse, what happens in this interaction, with my family and my girlfriend, just everyone back home, than what happens on that field. And I care a lot about what happens on that field."
A starter by trade, Appel says he's willing to pitch in any capacity for the Phillies should he be lucky enough to receive a September call-up. MLB rosters used to expand to 40 in September but those days are over (rosters are now capped at 28), at least until players and owners broach the subject in collective bargaining this winter. "The walks are killing me," said Appel, who, despite a disappointing 5.61 ERA at the Triple-A level, has limited opponents to a minuscule .221 average since his call-up in June. "You eliminate those, I'm probably stringing together quite a few solid outings and maybe knocking on the door."
Appel, who received a bonus of $6.35 million upon signing with the Astros in 2013, first joined the Phillies in 2015, arriving in a seven-player swap headlined by Ken Giles. He was designated for assignment two years later, but returned to the organization on a minor-league deal this past March.
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