
Former No. 1 pick Mark Appel makes MLB debut nine years after being drafted
CNN
It was nine years in the making, but former No. 1 Mark Appel made his MLB debut on Wednesday following a turbulent start to his career due to injuries and mental health issues.
Selected by the Houston Astros with the No. 1 pick in the 2013 MLB Draft, Appel made his debut with the Philadelphia Phillies, entering in the ninth and pitching a scoreless inning in a 4-1 loss.
"One of the things that I came into this year knowing is that each day might be my last, and genuinely, I was at a point where I was just trying to figure out what my role was, reliever, starter, do I still have it in me to put up good numbers, things like that, so I was like if each day was going to be my last, I might as well enjoy it and I really enjoyed tonight," Appel said after the game.

One year ago this week, Joe Biden was president. I was in Doha, Qatar, negotiating with Israel and Hamas to finalize a ceasefire and hostage release deal. The incoming Trump team worked closely with us, a rare display of nonpartisanship to free hostages and end a war. It feels like a decade ago. A lot can happen in a year, as 2025 has shown.












