2022 player report card: Mark Appel

One of the feel-good stories of the 2022 season, was the arrival of Mark Appel to the major leagues. The number one overall pick of the 2013 MLB Draft never found his footing in the Houston Astros organization, before being shipped to Philadelphia in the Ken Giles deal. From 2016-2018 Appel struggled to stay healthy in the minors, leading up to his eventual retirement in 2018.

After three years away from the game, the right-hander returned to baseball in March of 2021. Appel would spend the next year competing in AA and AAA as he hoped to earn a chance to pitch in MLB.

Finally, after nearly a decade of hard work and setbacks, Mark Appel was promoted to the bigs on June 29th. The 31-year-old…