Biographical

Portrait of Mark Appel

Mark Appel P  

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2019 Projections (Preseason PECOTA - seasonal age 27)
IP ERA WHIP SO W L SV WARP
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Birth Date7-15-1991
Height6' 5"
Weight220 lbs
Age32 years, 8 months, 13 days
BatsR
ThrowsR
2015
2016
2017
2018
-0.12019
proj
WARP Summary

MLB Statistics

Historical (past-seasons) WARP is now based on DRA..
cFIP and DRA are not available on a by-team basis and display as zeroes(0). See TOT line for season totals of these stats.
Multiple stints are are currently shownClick to hide.
YEAR Team Lg G GS IP W L SV H BB SO HR PPF H/9 BB/9 HR/9 K/9 GB% BABIP WHIP FIP ERA cFIP DRA DRA- WARP

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
Minor league stats are currently shownClick to hide.
YEAR Team Lg LG G GS IP W L SV H BB SO HR PPF H/9 BB/9 HR/9 K/9 GB% BABIP WHIP FIP ERA cFIP DRA DRA-
2013 QUD A MID 8 8 33.0 3 1 0 30 9 27 2 104 8.2 2.5 0.5 7.4 0% .277 1.18 3.39 3.82 95 3.54 76.9
2013 TCV A- NYP 2 2 5.0 0 0 0 6 0 6 0 118 10.8 0.0 0.0 10.8 0% .429 1.20 0.69 3.60 71 3.55 77.1
2014 LNC A+ CAL 12 12 44.3 2 5 0 74 11 40 9 107 15.0 2.2 1.8 8.1 0% .414 1.92 5.31 9.74 98 6.85 144.9
2014 CCH AA TEX 7 6 39.0 1 2 0 35 13 38 2 95 8.1 3.0 0.5 8.8 0% .300 1.23 2.99 3.69 91 3.94 83.4
2015 CCH AA TEX 13 13 63.3 5 1 0 68 23 49 7 114 9.7 3.3 1.0 7.0 0% .314 1.44 4.37 4.26 107 4.86 106.6
2015 FRE AAA PCL 12 12 68.3 5 2 0 67 28 61 6 104 8.8 3.7 0.8 8.0 0% .304 1.39 4.35 4.48 100 4.00 87.8
2016 LEH AAA INT 8 8 38.3 3 3 0 40 20 34 3 103 9.4 4.7 0.7 8.0 45% .325 1.57 4.05 4.46 104 5.32 117.5
2017 LEH AAA INT 17 17 82.0 5 4 0 91 53 60 9 101 10.0 5.8 1.0 6.6 43% .322 1.76 5.42 5.27 125 6.37 135.5
2017 PHL Rk GCL 2 0 2.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 4.5 4.5 0.0 0.0 43% .143 1.00 6.42 0.00 113 4.43 94.3

Plate Discipline

YEAR Pits Zone% Swing% Contact% Z-Swing% O-Swing% Z-Contact% O-Contact% SwStr%

Injury History  —  No longer being updated

Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET

Date On Date Off Transaction Days Games Side Body Part Injury Severity Surgery Date Reaggravation
2014-06-01 2014-06-12 Minors 11 0 Right Thumb Tendonitis -
2014-01-30 2014-01-30 Off 0 0 - General Medical Surgery Appendix 2014-01-30 -

Compensation

Year Team Salary
2023 PHI $
2022 PHI $
2017 PHI $

 

Service TimeAgentContract Status
0 y 50 dBoras Corp.1 year (2023)

Details
  • 1 year (2023). Re-signed by Philadelphia as a free agent 1/24/23 (minor-league contract). Released by Philadelphia 3/20/23.
  • 1 year (2022). Contract selected by Philadelphia 6/25/22. Sent outright to Triple-A by Philadelphia 11/9/22.
  • 1 year (2021). Re-signed by Philadelphia (minor-league contract).
  • 2018-2020: restricted list.
  • 1 year (2017). Contract selected by Philadelphia 11/18/16. Re-signed by Philadelphia 3/17. DFA by Philadelphia 11/20/17. Sent outright to Triple-A 11/27/17.
  • Acquired by Philadelphia in trade from Houston 12/12/15.
  • Drafted by Houston 2013 (1-1) (Stanford). $6.35M signing bonus ($7,790,400 slot).

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT W L SV G GS IP H BB SO HR BABIP WHIP ERA DRA VORP WARP
90o 7.8 0 0 10 10 48.9 42 22 44 6 .266 1.31 3.90 4.28 -5.6 -0.6
80o 6.6 0 0 9 9 43.2 40 21 39 6 .280 1.40 4.31 4.73 -7.0 -0.8
70o 5.8 0 0 8 8 39.1 38 20 35 5 .291 1.48 4.62 5.06 -7.7 -0.8
60o 5.2 0 0 7 7 35.8 36 19 32 5 .300 1.55 4.89 5.35 -8.2 -0.9
50o 4.6 0 0 7 7 32.8 35 18 29 5 .308 1.61 5.14 5.62 -8.4 -0.9
40o 4 0 0 6 6 29.8 33 17 27 5 .317 1.68 5.40 5.9 -8.5 -0.9
30o 3.5 0 0 5 5 26.7 31 16 24 4 .326 1.75 5.68 6.2 -8.5 -0.9
20o 2.9 0 0 5 5 23.2 28 15 21 4 .337 1.84 6.02 6.57 -8.3 -0.9
10o 2.1 0 0 4 4 18.5 24 13 17 3 .352 1.96 6.50 7.08 -7.6 -0.8
Weighted Mean4.5006632.13318295.3061.595.115.58-8.1-0.9

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BP Annual Player Comments

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BP Articles

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BP Chats

DateQuestionAnswer
2017-05-15 17:00:00 (link to chat)Is Lucas Giolito ever going to be an ace, or has that ship sailed? Is he Mark Appel? Or is he a decent #3 or #4 starter?
(eddiecomic from NY)
He could be, but it looks like a long shot to me now. I see him as a #4 with perhaps the possibility that he's a good relief arm instead. (Mike Gianella)
2017-03-17 13:00:00 (link to chat)Pick two to round out dynasty keepers on the farm: Dustin May, Duane Underwood, Mark Appel, Thyago Viera, Adalberto Mejia, Franchy Cordero. Thanks!
(Steve from Wilmington)
My Dustin May love is well known. The rest of that list is uh, something. Mejia I guess. Ben is psychically sending me messages to tell you not to roster prospect relievers in a dynasty league. (Jeffrey Paternostro)
2016-05-12 13:00:00 (link to chat)Which group of players will the Astros regret trading more? Dealing away Vincent Velasquez and Mark Appel or Brett Phillips, Domingo Santana, and Josh Hader?
(Okie from Muskogee)
The latter, which is weird to say, because I've been pretty slow to come on the Hader train. I have loved most of what Houston has done, but I think they're really going to come to regret that deal. (Christopher Crawford)
2016-03-09 19:00:00 (link to chat)Which group sucks less? Anthony Alford, Rusney Castillo, Manuel Margot, Brett Phillips, Nick Williams,Spencer Adams, Mark Appel, Dylan Cease, Josh Hader, James Kapeielian, Triston McKenzie,Vince Velasquez or Blake Swihart, Jon Singleton, Dansby Swanson, Alex Jackson, Clayton Blackburn,Tyrell Jenkins, Rob Kaminsky, Zach Lee, Keuy Mella, Justin Nicolino, Aaron Nola, Tyler Jay. God these teams are awful.
(Clark from The 19th Hole)
The first group, but you're right, but they're both bad. (Mike Gianella)
2016-01-29 11:00:00 (link to chat)Mark Appel is he the hot dog in a sandwich world? Great stuff just can't put it all together and become a sandwich?
(Dan from Woodbury )
This begs the question, as hot dogs are sandwiches. (Top 101 Chat with Craig Goldstein)
2016-01-29 11:00:00 (link to chat)What do you think is the reason so many impact pitching prospects have seen significant reductions on their stuff at such an early age without suffering an injury? I'm thinking Mark Appel, Archie Bradley, Jon Gray, even Julio Teheran.
(Duffman from Cali)
Some if it adapting to throwing every fifth day rather than once a week (for the college guys). Some of it is just that some guys are at their best when they're younger and have a faster rate of attrition. Sometimes it's developmental tweaks that don't work out. Not sure there's any specific cause there. (Top 101 Chat with Craig Goldstein)
2015-12-01 14:00:00 (link to chat)Weekly trade question with Aroldis Chapman. What realistic prospects would make sense from Astros and Nationals ?? Thanks !
(Kevin from Cincy)
From the Nationals, anyone but Giolito, Turner and Robles would be on the table I think. For the Astros? Maybe a Mark Appel scenery change makes sense. Or a Michael Feliz or Colin Moran. Trading for relievers is tricky, even when they're stupid good like Chapman. (Christopher Crawford)
2015-11-18 13:00:00 (link to chat)Trade proposal.. Mark Appel and Dererk Fisher for Chapman ! Thoughts ??
(Joe from Cincinnati)
Love Appel. Love Fischer. Can't help but think the Reds can do better. Maybe I'm nuts. (Christopher Crawford)
2015-10-19 19:00:00 (link to chat)when drafting for dynasty, which would you rank as being the better asset to own:player already in minors, ie Wilson Contreras, college player, ie JJ Schwartz, or the high school senior.
(Silverback38 from VA)
I prefer the guy in the minors just because so much can happen once a guy hits the pros. Mark Appel, while certainly not indicative, is an example of how someone who is highly touted pre-pro, can go wrong. (Tout Wars Champ Mike Gianella)
2015-07-23 17:00:00 (link to chat)Thoughts on a few question mark pitching prospects, Jameson Taillon,Braden Shipley, and Mark Appel? What do you see out of them over the next couple seasons?
(Tony from ND)
Really have to see Taillon healthy before we make a judgment. I think Appel could be an OK mid-tier starter, but the ideas of him being an ace or even a #2 should be removed out of our heads. Shipley is the guy of the three who excites me the most. You have to be careful with comps, but I like the Jacob deGrom parallels here, with the converted shortstop who throws 95 MPH. He needs more refinement, but I could see him surprising in his debut. (Mike Gianella)
2015-06-22 13:00:00 (link to chat)Is Mark Appel still a mid rotation starter for you or has he fallen from that?
(Kent from Houston)
Yeah, I don't think the book on Appel has ever changed. He's been a prototypical big league starting pitcher since last few years of college. Sometimes he gets a little bored, or lets the league get the best of him, or whatever's happening with him. I don't know exactly what it is and I don't know if the Astros do either. But the stuff has never really wavered. He'll be just fine. (Jeff Moore)
2015-06-02 18:00:00 (link to chat)Time to sell Mark Appel?
(fan from California)
In dynasty leagues? I think you're selling low with Appel so I'd probably hang onto him and hope he figures something out because it's been ugly so far this year. (Mauricio Rubio)
2015-03-06 14:00:00 (link to chat)Is Mark Appel anything more than a #3 starter? If that is where he ends up, would you consider him a bust considering where he was drafted?
(John from Chicago)
I think he's a potential ace, more than likely a No. 2. I don't think a mid-rotation starter would make him a "bust?" But, it would be a slight disappointment. (Christopher Crawford)
2015-02-18 19:00:00 (link to chat)Congrats Brendan on your first BP chat. May it be the beginning of many more. Thanks for doing this chat man. Got a question for you. Who'd you take for the next 12 years between Jon Gray and Mark Appel? Who do you like better and why?
(Bill Clinton from Las Vegas)
Thank you Mr. President. Over twelve years, I'll take the guy who doesn't have to throw a ton of games in Colorado. (Brendan Gawlowski)
2014-12-11 18:00:00 (link to chat)Who would you rather have? David Dahl, Austin Meadows, or Mark Appel?
(Bob from Seattle)
David Dahl is going to blow the hell up in 2015. I'm buying big time here and have been for a while. (Mark Anderson)
2014-10-31 13:00:00 (link to chat)Mark Appel was good in AA and has been really good in the AFL, can we chalk the train wreck at Lancaster up as a fulk thing with him missing Spring training and and the ungodly wind that seem to blow out ever time he pitched?
(mdotmorris22 from Minnesota)
You mean to say that Mark Appel is not a bust?

Yes, I think we need to overlook a half-year stint that did not go as planned. Appel went 1-1 in the draft for a reason, and it's because of his talent. The development path of a prospect is rarely linear, and all the reports I have received on Appel have been much better since he was moved along out of the missile launching pad of Lancaster. Sometimes we just need to step back and take a breath. (Tucker Blair)
2014-09-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)On a dynasty/points team how would you rank these guys these in 2015 which would you keep if one had to go? Jarred Cosart, McHugh, Marco Gonzales, Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, Alex Colome, Daniel Norris Mark Appel,
(OB1KENOBI from Tampa)
I'd cut Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez. (Craig Goldstein)
2014-07-22 15:00:00 (link to chat)What has happened to Mark Appel? At this point he's looking like a bust, no?
(wade1018 from TN)
Has struggled to retain the velocity that he had in college. He's had a myriad of injuries, and hasn't settled into the every 5 days schedule. The FB has been flat. Appel is probably tipping his pitches some. Chris Rodriguez and Ron Shah have seen him recently (I saw him in the spring), but their reports are much more pessimistic than mine. I saw him at 94-96 with a tight CB and CH that showed promise. They've mostly seen 90-93, a CB without snap, and a flatter CH.

It's probably too early to call him a bust, but we may have to lower the ceiling from #2 starter to a mid to back of the rotation type. (Jordan Gorosh)
2014-07-01 13:00:00 (link to chat)Would Mark Appel still be in your personal top 50 prospects?
(Travis from CA)
Yes; I was present for his best start of the season in Lake Elsinore and I wrote a relatively positive report on him. Unfortunately, his velocity dipped considerably the start after (like 10 mph) and he never really regained what I saw in that one start. He's back now and I'm anxious to get a look at him. The stuff is much better than the number indicate when he's on... but he's going to have to start putting up the number eventually. After all, Harold Reynolds said he could start in Houston after getting drafted last year. (Chris Rodriguez)
2014-07-01 13:00:00 (link to chat)Who has been the biggest disappointment this year so far?
(scott from az)
Have to go with Mark Appel. (Chris Rodriguez)
2014-07-08 13:00:00 (link to chat)Which pitchers do you see rising into the top 20 by the end of the season?
(flashtheleather from Over the wall)
He doesn't need to move far, but Hunter Harvey could cement himself as a Top 20 prospect by the end of this season. He was awfully close in our discussions leading up to the revised Top 50 release.

I also believe you could see another jump from someone like AJ Cole, and with a rebound in the second half, Mark Appel could re-assert himself as a top prospect without much trouble. (Mark Anderson)
2014-07-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)We all know the prospects that have taken a step forward but who are the prospects that have significantly gone backward and it wasn't injury related?
(Chris from Phoenix)
Well Mark Appel seems like the obvious choice here, but he may have some kind of injury thing going on in there. Who knows what's really going on with him.

Maikel Franco has really struggled, so he's definitely one. (Jeff Moore)
2014-06-03 14:00:00 (link to chat)What has happened with Mark Appel? He got lit up in his return to High A. Do you expect him to be contributing to the Astros in 2015? Thanks
(Chris from Baltimore)
I've taken in Mark Appel's last two starts in High-A; the one where his velocity dipped and the one on Saturday, where his velocity returned to norm. He got lit up really badly on Saturday because he kept the ball up and it looks like he may been tipping his pitches; I can't recall more than two or three uncomfortable swings.

You have to be glad the fastball velocity is back, but now you have to start being concerned and questioning why he can't find any success in High-A. I wouldn't put any timetable on him right now. (Ron Shah)
2014-06-03 14:00:00 (link to chat)What the heck is wrong with Mark Appel?
(JeffBlogwell from Houston, Tx)
Might be tipping his pitches (see my Twitter feed @Rontrarian); not competing; isn't showing any pitchability right now; who the heck knows? (Ron Shah)
2014-06-13 13:00:00 (link to chat)What is your take on the struggles on Mark Appel?
(Mark from Houston)
Injury... tiny sample... I'm not too worried overall. Expectations were high this year, understandably, but we're still only talking about 17.3 IP (Paul Sporer)
2014-06-16 13:00:00 (link to chat)I know fantasy questions usually suck when it comes to the prospect stuff, but I traded Corey Seager for Mark Appel at the beginning of the season. How bad did I screw up?
(Justin from Chicago, IL)
Somewhere between Bartman and Buckner. (Jeff Moore)
2014-05-27 11:30:00 (link to chat)Going back to Rodon, any chance we have a Mark Appel situation and he goes back to school for his senior year if he doesn't like his draft status?
(Peter from St. Petersburg)
It's not impossible, but with the recent wave of injuries, and the fact that he throws predominantly sliders, which are tough on your arm of course, I'd tend to doubt it. (Jordan Gorosh)
2014-05-13 11:00:00 (link to chat)Should we astros fans be worried about Mark Appel now? Supposed to be our future ace and is having issues in High-A?
(Mike from Houston)
No. I don't think he will ever be an ace, despite where he was drafted, but people shouldn't be down on Appel because of his early High-A struggles. He didn't really get a full ST, and struggled a bit (the stuff was still very good) in his initial assignment. Perhaps the tandem system isn't ideal for a guy like Appel, but the Astros appear to want to take is slow and easy with him, protecting their sizable investment, Sending him back to extended ST is just a reset, a chance for him to get in some work without the pressures of a minor league game. I think he will be fine, most likely a very good 2/3 starter type, but I never saw a potential #1 (Jason Parks)
2014-05-07 17:00:00 (link to chat)Help Mike! Ten team dynasty with 10 Minor slots. I was offered Tanaka for Mark Appel and Carlos Rodon. What are your thoughts on Tanaka long-term. Thank you!
(nictaclacta from Glendale)
My opinion on Tanaka has become far more positive. He looks much better than I thought he would and that sinker/splitter whatever it is seems very hard to hit. He isn't quite an elite arm but he's very close to that level. (Mike Gianella)
2014-03-21 14:00:00 (link to chat)which minor league pitcher has the most upside? follow up question: which minor league pitcher has the best shot at reaching his ceiling?
(Bob from Lombard)
Archie Bradley possesses the most upside. Mark Appel for your follow up question. (Ronit Shah)
2014-02-26 19:00:00 (link to chat)Really appreciate the chat! Who are some guys you would target after the first 15 or so picks in a rookie draft(that includes international players). I have picks 17 and 18. Would you try to package them together to move up a bit? Thanks
(Mill from Lodi)
Assuming you mean rookie draft as in new signees to an established dynasty league I think outside of the top 6 guys:

Kris Bryant, Jose Abreu, Masahiro Tanaka, Clint Frazier, Jonathan Gray, Mark Appel

it gets really clogged in the middle. I would trade the lower picks to get into the top 6 because you're talking about guys like Colin Moran and Austin Meadows down there. It's ok, but not ideal. (Mauricio Rubio)
2014-01-29 19:00:00 (link to chat)Welcome Ben, I'll start you off with a curveball: Let's say every draft eligible prospect from 2010 to 2014 was eligible for this year's draft. Just based on pre-draft scouting reports and without the benefit of hindsight, how would the first 10 picks of the draft unfold?
(baseballjunkie from cali, where it's already Spring)
This is an amazingly difficult question to answer, and also quite fun. It's probably better suited for an article than for a fantasy chat answer, but since I was able to access this question ahead of time, here's what I came up with after about 30 min of research. I'll note that since I'm not familiar enough with 2014 prospects yet, I've restricted your search to 2010-2013 draftees. I'll go with:

1. Bryce Harper 2. Manny Machado 3. Gerrit Cole 4. Dylan Bundy 5. Anthony Rendon 6. Jameson Taillon 7. Bubba Starling
8. Byron Buxton 9. Carlos Correa 10. Archie Bradley

Toughest omissions for me were Francisco Lindor, Trevor Bauer, Kevin Gausman, Kris Bryant and Mark Appel. If Luc Giolito had been healthy for his senior year, he'd probably have made it on this list. Obviously that's not how we'd rank them now, and it's funny that guys like Chris Sale, Jose Fernandez, Matt Harvey and Javier Baez are left in the dust. Bubba Starling sticks out like a sore thumb, and Buxton was underrated. This exercise also reinforces how loaded the 2011 draft was. Last year's pales in comparison. (Ben Carsley)
2014-02-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)Dynasty league 5th pick overall in a vacuum: Kris Bryant, Jose Abreu, Jonathan Gray, Mark Appel. Please rank since 1 or more might go before me. Thanks!
(uvasuperman from Atlanta)
Bryant, Gray, Appel, Abreu. I hate fantasy pitchers from Colorado and first baseman. (Jeff Moore)
2014-01-21 18:00:00 (link to chat)Appel or gray?
(andy from frozen tundra )
Jonathan Gray over Mark Appel, though it's really close and if you went the other way I wouldn't blame you. (Mike Gianella)
2014-01-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)I have 3 top picks in the 1st round of my upcoming draft. In a vaccum, which 3 would you take for a 18 keeper league and in which order? Tanaka, Lucas Giolito, Clint Frazier, Jonathan Gray, Jose Abreu, Rougund Odor, Rymer Lirano, or Mark Appel?
(vegetto712 from Florida)
From a prospect perspective, your top three there are Giolito, Gray and Appel. (Mark Anderson)
2014-01-02 13:00:00 (link to chat)With my first round pick in our prospect draft, I'm eying a pitcher. Archie Bradley, Masahiro Tanaka, Jonathan Gray, Mark Appel, Noah Syndergaard, Lucas Giolito, and Robert Stephenson are all still on the board. Which 2 or 3 are on your shortlist, and who do you pick & why? Thanks for the chat!
(Sara from Tacoma)
Oh man that's fun agonizing at the same time. Bradley/Giolito are my top two. Tanaka is probably my third because he'll pitch in the majors so soon. It depends on your team's timetable. If you're contending sooner, Bradley. If you can wait (because of depth or because you're bad) go with Giolito. (Craig Goldstein)
2013-12-20 14:00:00 (link to chat)Thanks for the chat, Doug. I find your pitching insights very interesting. I feel a little guilty that all I can do is ask selfish fantasy questions, but which do you see reaching their potential: Mark Appel, Jonathan Gray, or perhaps Julio Urias?
(Mr. Beef from Chicago)
No guilt necessary, Mr. Beef - I'm a huge fan of the fantasy game.

Your question is a good one, as these are three VERY different pitchers. Appel is most likely to reach his potential, because he is almost there already. He has a very high floor, but I feel that his ceiling is limited (he lives in a small room). I think that Gray has the most upside of the group, and he doesn't have too big of a hill to climb in order to get there. Urias might have the greatest potential in theory, given his age and right-now stuff (and left-handedness), but he also has the longest distance to go before reaching ceiling, and I think that he will need some refinement of his breaking ball in order to approach Gray's ultimate potential. But Urias' change-up is sick.

Oh, and how many times in one chat can I make a reference to climbing mountains and hills in order to reach a ceiling? I need to come up with some new phrases, or perhaps find an indoor mountain to climb.

On the jukebox: Rage Against the Machine, "Know Your Enemy" (Doug Thorburn)
2013-11-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)Per the mid-season Top 50, the top 10 Starting Pitching propects in baseball (that are still prospect eligible) were: Archie Bradley, Kevin Gausman, Taijuan Walker, Jameson Taillon, Dylan Bundy, Mark Appel, Robert Stephenson, Carlos Martinez, Noah Syndergaard, and Aaron Sanchez. What would an updated list look like? I assume Jonathan Gray would be somewhere in the middle of the pack, no?
(Jonah from Redwood)
I think there are some slight differences that you'd see here. Globally speaking, I think everyone recognizes that Noah Syndergaard has vaulted himself higher up a list of this nature. Speaking personally, I have always been on the lower end with my Dylan Bundy projections and I would push him down the list some. Gray would be in the mix toward the back of this pack for me, and that's not a slight against him, I just don't believe he is quite on par with some of the other names in this group. (Mark Anderson)
2013-11-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)Mark, in you opinion, what level of contribution will Lucas Giolito, Mark Appel, Kyle Zimmer be making in 2015? Never too early to plan. Thanks.
(nictaclacta from Glendale)
Appel should be in the Astros rotation from day one. Zimmer has a good chance to spend half of that season in the big leagues. Giolito may not be there yet. (Mark Anderson)
2013-10-15 13:00:00 (link to chat)Where do you project the top 2013 draft picks (Kris Bryant, Mark Appel, etc.) to be slotted in your top prospect list? With the understanding that you may change your mind, of course!
(BTH524 from Pennsylvania)
Bryant could/should be in the top ten in the game. He's a polished offensive monster that should be at the highest level at some point in 2014. Appel is also a polished collegiate talent that will move quickly, but I'm not as high on his ceiling as some and I don't see him as a future #1 type. He will be in the top 25, but not the top 10. (Jason Parks)
2013-10-15 13:00:00 (link to chat)A great deal can change between now and June, yet it seems carved in stone that the Astros will be pairing Carlos Rodon with Mark Appel in the upcoming draft. Would you say that both have top of the rotation ceilings? Or, dare I say, ace potential? And, more interestingly, how does that tandem compare to other one-two pitching prospect punches (past or present)? Cole/Taillon, Harvey/Wheeler, Bundy/Gausman, etc.
(Domenic from New York)
I think aces are created at the major league level through production and consistency. I would project Rodon higher than Appel. (Jason Parks)
2013-09-04 13:00:00 (link to chat)For the past two years half the draft discussion was about Mark Appel and his signing bonus, never about his pitching. Now no one mentions him at all. It's like he went into the Witness Protection Program. You could wear a yellow speedo and talk about Appel.
(Free_AEC from South Jersey)
He developed a bit of a reputation for being soft. His stuff is electric and his draft position was warranted, but the initial signing issue and the questionable #rig has cooled off his status some. I don't think it matters at the end of the day what people are buzzing about. Appel is going to be a very good major league arm. Was he the best arm in the class? Production will determine that. (Jason Parks)
2013-07-29 11:00:00 (link to chat)Best prospect the Astros just drafted this year not named Mark Appel, in your opinion?
(Ashitaka1110 from Houston, TX)
What's not to love about Tony Kemp. (Zach Mortimer)
2013-06-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)Am I sensing sarcasm in Carlos Rodon at 1? But would you put the lefty with nasty fastball/slider combo ahead of Mark Appel or Jonathan Gray?
(mikeyurk from CT)
Yes. If in the same draft, I would prefer Rodon to both Appel and Gray. (Jason Parks on the Midseason Top 50 Prospects)
2013-06-13 13:00:00 (link to chat)Thanks Jason, but saying that someone is a better rotation option than Justin Grimm and Josh Lindblom is like saying he's a better NBA prospect than Tyrion Lannister. Can Perez reclaim a ceiling as a #3, or is he more back of the rotation fodder?
(Mario66 from Toronto)
I think he's a no. 3, just one that hasn't developed quickly. The stuff is actually improving – he's showing the feel he showed at times last season with the pure stuff that he had shown a couple years back. Despite the fact that he has been on the prospect radar for a long time, it's easy to forget that he's still just 22 and will be all season. He's only three months older than Mark Appel! (Jason Cole)
2013-06-13 13:00:00 (link to chat)Mark Appel to start this weekend, right?
(Harold Reynolds from MLBN Studios)
Why not tonight? (Jason Cole)
2013-05-28 13:00:00 (link to chat)Is it a given that either Mark Appel or Jonathan Gray go first overall to the Astros?
(BobcatBaseball from Athens, OH)
No. If it's a guarantee in the scouting community that whoever doesn't go first goes second, then they can't play them like they played Carlos Correa last year. That situation worked because if Correa wasn't going first, he was going much later, so they could get him to sign well under slot, knowing it would be more than he'd get in the late top 10.

I have no knowledge that they'd do that again, but if they want to go under slot early and over slot late like last year, you'd want more of a darkhorse. The Houston beat guys, Brian McTaggart and Brian Smith, have mentioned several other options, and how much of Jim Crane reportedly scouting Moran was a decoy or whatever, I'm not sure. (Zachary Levine)
2013-05-02 13:00:00 (link to chat)If you had the first pick in the draft this year, do you go with Mark Appel or Jonathan Grey?
(Jay from Montreal)
I'd go with Appel. Around all the pro coverage, I've been able to see three of the top college righties in the country this year between Appel, Gray, and Ryne Stanek. That's how I'd rank them â€" Appel, Gray, and Stanek. Although Stanek's stuff has ticked up since the outing I saw. (Jason Cole)
2012-09-14 14:00:00 (link to chat)How big of a role did Mark Appel's mechanics play in his falling as far as he did in the draft? Anything major he needs to correct?
(Ashitaka1110 from Houston, TX)
It is impossible to know for sure why each of the eight teams selecting before Pittsburgh opted to pass on Appel, though his bonus demands likely played a major role, as did the identity of his agent and the novelty of the current rules governing signing bonuses. It could also be a case of the hype outweighing the potential, as though Appel was certainly a top-tier pitcher in the draft, there was no clear-cut favorite among the arms. I preferred the skills of Kyle Zimmer in a vacuum, and the anticipated difference in bonus demands just increases the ranking spread on a potential zebra sheet. Appel has some decent mechanics, though nothing stands out as elite, and he does have some mechanical inefficiencies that could be cleaned up in time for next year's draft.

On the jukebox: Alice In Chains, "Would" (Doug Thorburn)
2012-06-05 16:00:00 (link to chat)Once teams and *advisors* are finished working out the details, do you think that the new system will do a better job or worse job than the old, uncapped systems, of promoting parity by funnelling the best players to the worst teams?
(Mario66 from Toronto)
Year one, and Mark Appel plummets. It's not working. (Kevin Goldstein)
2012-06-04 13:00:00 (link to chat)Teheran continues to puzzle. He was sharp again last night, but has been wildly erratic this year. Any thoughts on if he's working on something in particular?
(DF from Wilmington, NC)
Kevin says he's been working on his breaking ball a lot down at Gwinnett. He's only a few months older than Mark Appel; plenty of time to work things out. (Bradley Ankrom)


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PITCHf/x Pitcher Profile

A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC


Mark Appel has thrown 247 pitches that have been tracked by the PITCHf/x system between 2022 and 2023, all of them occuring in Spring Training. In 2023, he has relied primarily on his Sinker (95mph), Slider (84mph) and Cutter (91mph). He also rarely throws a Splitter (87mph).