Mark Appel #66 of the Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Phillies pitching prospect Mark Appel was once labeled the “biggest bust in MLB history.”
Before that, he was the first overall pick in the 2013 draft, chosen by the Houston Astros, his hometown team. Then-Astros GM Jeff Luhnow called him “the most significant investment… in an amateur player” in franchise history.
But by early 2018, ahead of spring training, Appel was announcing his retirement from baseball, before he’d even made his big-league debut. The road in between was littered with high ERAs at various minor-league levels, injuries and surgeries, and a trade to the Phillies, along with Vince Velasquez, who was released earlier this week.