Phillies minor-league pitcher Mark Appel, the first pick in the 2013 draft, is walking away from the game at the age of 26, he told Bleacher Report’s Joon Lee.
Appel is taking an “indefinite break” from baseball and doesn’t guarantee he’ll be back.
The Astros took Appel, a Houston native, ahead of Kris Bryant in the 2013 draft and expected him to be future star after three dominant college seasons. In 2014 when Sports Illustrated predicted the Astros would win the 2017 World Series, Appel was supposed to be a key
After a decent abbreviated pro debut in 2013, Appel’s 2014 season was a disaster.