"This is the s**t that makes baseball beautiful" "You could just feel the emotion" - MLB world reacts to Mark Appel's inspirational journey and Major League debut

The MLB is home to some of the most inspiring stories in sports. It's perhaps one of the few select leagues wherein people in their mid-to-late thirties can still dominate the game. Pitchers, for example, can debut later in their careers and can have a career spanning more than a decade.

One noteworthy instance is Mark Appel. The 30-year-old former top overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft made his professional debut last night. It was a long road of trials and tribulations for the former prized prospect, but he never gave up.

Appel made his first MLB appearance in relief for the Philadelphia Phillies last night. He checked into the game in the ninth to close out the Phillies' 4-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves at home. Appel issued a hit and struck out one. Despite the team's loss, he is grateful to have finally made it to the big leagues.

While Phillies fans admired and commended Appel's major league debut, a few fans from the Braves also expressed their admiration for the former top prospect.

Mark Appel was called up to the main roster after Connor Brogdon was put into the COVID-19 injured list. If he can impress the Phillies' management, he might just be given a permanent roster spot for the year.

MLB fans converge in appreciation of Mark Ammel

Ammel was originally drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2009, but he chose to play collegiate ball for the Stanford Cardinals. In 2013, he was picked as the first overall selection in the MLB Draft by the Houston Astros.

He spent three years with the organization, reaching as high as Triple A when he played for the Fresno Grizzlies. Some Astros fans can still remember him playing in their system and couldn't help but express their happiness.

Before the 2016 season, he was part of a deal that landed him in Philadelphia. After several injuries, he announced that he would step away from baseball on February 1, 2018.

In March 2021, he tried to make a comeback in baseball. He made his first start on May 8, 2021, for the Reading Fightin' Phils and was promoted to Lehigh Valley IronPigs afterward.

In 19 games for the Triple A IronPigs this year, he had a 5-0 record with a miniscule 1.61 ERA. This warranted a call-up by the Phillies as one of their relievers was placed on the injured list due to COVID.

Everyone is raving about the former top overall pick's debut. Phillies fans and rival teams' fans alike voiced their appreciation.

In a cutthroat world that is professional sports, it's awesome to see people never giving up and continuing to strive for their dreams.