Houston Astros Make Mark Appel 1st Pick of 2013 MLB Draft

The Houston Astros made Mark Appel, a right-handed pitcher from Stanford University, the first pick in the 2013 MLB Draft. The decision was long thought to be between Appel and Jonathan Gray, another right-handed pitcher, from the University of Oklahoma.

At 6-5, 215lbs the senior throws three good pitches (a fastball, slider and changeup) with good command to all parts of the strike zone. Both Appel and Houston Astros will be hoping this ends his draft journey, after he failed to agree a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, after they picked him eighth overall in 2012.

Appel has already spurned the Astros once, however, when he reportedly turned down a pre-draft offer of $6m last year. With no years of college eligibility left, they may be hoping that he’ll be easier to sign this time, or maybe another year of success has convinced them that he’s worth the asking price. Either way, the Astros clearly felt they couldn’t pass up his talent twice.

In 2012, the National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association named Appel, a pre-season All-American, as Pitcher of the Year after he went 10-2 with a 2.56 ERA and struck out 130 batters in 120 innings. Appel was the early favourite to be taken first pick overall last year before his talks with the Astros broke down, but fell to eighth, with other teams put off by his high asking price. His decision not to sign paid off, as he has gone 10-4 with a 2.12 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 106 innings this year. A highly polished prospect, Appel is expected to rise quickly through the minor leagues.

The Chicago Cubs picked the University of San Diego’s third aseman Kris Bryant, the highest-rated position player on the board. Bryant is an impressive power prospect, having led the country with 31 home runs. Numbers that would’ve been impressive even before the college game moved away from aluminium bats.

Bryant was named to the freshman All-American team in 2011, and in 2012 was selected to represent the US national collegiate team.

Gray, a junior, has a big, strong frame (6-4, 239lbs) that allows him to throw his fastball comfortably in the high 90s, occasionally reaching 100mph. He has used this pitch, along with an above average slider and average changeup to great effect this year, striking out 127 batters in 110 innings, on his way to a 9-2 record and sparkling 1.55 ERA. Gray has flown up draft boards all spring, ending up as a leading candidate to be taken in the top 2.

This is the third time Gray has been drafted. The Kansas City Royals were the first team to try, picking him in the 13th round out of high school in 2010.

Gray did test positive for Adderall during a pre-draft physical examination, but he won’t receive a suspension.