Appel Gets Call to Big Leagues, Debuts for Phillies
June 30, 2022 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Newport Gulls News Release
NEWPORT, R.I - After over six seasons of minor league baseball, the journey has finally reached its peak for Mark Appel (Newport 2010), who last night made his major league debut, pitching a scoreless ninth inning for the Philadelphia Phillies.
On Saturday, Appel became the 29th Gull in team history to make the major leagues when the Philadelphia Phillies called him up. When he took the mound last night, he became the 191st former NECBL player to make his big-league debut.
"Completely overwhelmed. I have so many thoughts I want to share but can't find the words, so I'll just say this: I'm thankful," Appel tweeted Saturday morning. "Today, I get to play a game I love as a Major League Baseball player."
Appel had quite the decade-long journey to arrive in the major leagues. The No. 1 Overall Pick in the 2013 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros, the right hander was traded from Houston to Philadelphia during the 2017 season. Appel took a four-year break away from the game from 2017 to 2021, and came back as ready as ever, turning in a dominant start to the 2022 season with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the AAA affiliate of the Phillies. The former top pick was 5-0 with a 1.61 ERA this season at Lehigh Valley.
Much of that dominance and growth evolved with the Gulls during the summer of 2010. An NECBL All Star, Appel pitched in eight games and recorded a 6-1 record to go with a 1.86 ERA, leading the Gulls to an Eastern Division title. After a dominant junior season at Stanford, Appel gave a lot of credit to Newport for his development.
"I had a lot of worry after my freshman year," Appel said in a 2012 interview with MLB Network. "I went out and played summer ball and just went back to the basics. That's where I learned how to be a starting pitcher, was in Newport, Rhode Island in the NECBL."
After leaving Newport, Appel flourished in his next three seasons with the Cardinal. In his last three collegiate seasons, the San Ramon, California native finished with a 26-13 record to go with a 2.56 ERA in 47 starts. After 474.2 innings pitched in the minor leagues, Appel's remarkable journey has brought him to the biggest stage. Welcome to the show, Mark.
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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 30, 2022
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