I root for Mark Appel.

That's "former two time #1 pick."

That's "former two time #1 pick."

He went #1 only once. He was drafted 8th overall the year before.

Bah. I knew I should have checked. I was mixing him up with Brady Aiken. The Astros had consecutive #1 picks who failed to make the majors, only one of whom was Appel. In Aiken's case, he never signed.

I honestly had no idea he was still pitching, I thought he had retired. Good for him.

I honestly had no idea he was still pitching, I thought he had retired. Good for him.

He had some major arm injuries and did retire for like three years I think. Came back in 2020 or 2021 I believe.

I root for anyone that got ruined by the Astros evil machine.

Yes, the evil machine that's produced an amazing number of successful pitchers. Appel was unlucky with injuries, and Aiken's arm was messed up at the time he was drafted.

Cheating makes success easier.

I have a vague memory that the Appel pick was controversial. Am I making that up?

i don't think the pick was controversial at all. if i remember rightly, he didn't sign the first time he got drafted because (it was thought) he wanted more $$$ and figured he could get drafted even higher than he was. he wuz right.

but he was supposed to be a mike leake kind of guy who would be ML ready and he was barely minor league ready. he looked like little league everywhere they put him. luhnow sent him to pitch to Astros major leaguers - when he couldn't get high A ball guys out - and the players AND the manager, bo porter, objected bigly. cost bo porter his job cuz luhnow couldn't handle a manager sticking up for his players. failing at high A got Appel promoted to AA. there was more than a few pimpees who looked like they had no bidness being on a prospect list. getting drafted high got you kept on prospect lists whether or not you belonged there.

Actually, having Brent Strom made success easier.

duke, zop

cmon

appel didn't get no ruined by the astros EVULLLLL Machine. he sucked right away all by his lonesome.

besides, it was the astros hitters who cheated, not the astros pitchers

I have a vague memory that the Appel pick was controversial. Am I making that up?

The Pirates taking him at #8 in 2012 was controversial because he basically said "I will never play for Pittsburgh" like a million times before the draft and then he didn't sign and the Pirates basically deferred that pick until the next year (which was controversial because it's the kind of BS they always pull). That pick turned into Austin Matthews, who they then proceeded to give away to TBR (with Tyler Glasgow) for 33 starts from Chris Archer. So Appel is a great example of how the Pirates literally do almost nothing right. We are just waiting around to see how they will screw up Oneill Cruz.

This whole thing reminds me of the story of Todd Van Poppel, another highly touted pitcher who turned out to be hot garbage for years, until he finally was moved to the bullpen and turned in a couple of passable seasons. One big difference was that Van Poppel was given a lot of chances at the major league level, but his numbers in the majors look a lot like Appel's numbers in the minors.

he basically said "I will never play for Pittsburgh" like a million times before the draft and

Is this correct? Appel was supposed to go right at the top of the draft, the Pirates were picking #8. I know he was considered a tough sign because Cole had gotten about $10 million the year before and MLB didn't want to see anyone get that much again.

he finally got into a game last night--so that leaves Chilcott, Brien Taylor, and probably Brady Aiken