‘God Reignited That Spark In Me’: Mark Appel Makes MLB Debut 9 Years After Going No. 1 In MLB Draft
By Movieguide® Staff
In 2013, the life of a 21-year-old Stanford pitcher named Mark Appel would change forever. Seen as a homerun prospect by scouts around the league, his hometown team, the Houston Astros, selected Appel with the first pick in the MLB draft.
But 2013 would not be Appel’s debut in the league. After nine years riddled with injuries, setbacks, and an exit from the MLB entirely, Appel made his official debut at 30—the oldest No. 1 pick in MLB history.
Appel took the mound for the first time in his MLB career on Wednesday, June 29, and threw a scoreless ninth inning for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Despite the 9-year on-deck for Appel, he gave glory to God for his return to baseball.
“Literally, what’s happening right now in my life is only by the grace of God,” he told MLB Network. “I was literally hopeless. I had given up on ever having this day come. But I think God reignited that spark in me, and I think when God does something like that, it can take time, but it can be hard to stop.”
"My mom is emotional, she was crying, it was really special."@Phillies hurler @markappel26 finally made his @MLB debut after being the #1 pick in the 2013 draft. It will never stop being an incredible comeback story.
📽️ NTT #BallparkCam | #RingTheBell | @jonmorosi pic.twitter.com/J0dRr1XTy6
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 30, 2022
“You obviously have this dream of getting to the big leagues, but for me this is just like gravy,” Appel said of his time spent in the minor leagues. “All the other stuff was taken care of. I didn’t need for this to happen this year for me to feel like it was a successful year. All of this is gravy. I’m just soaking it all in. It’s awesome.”
Mark Appel was the No. 1 overall pick in 2013.
In 2018, he stepped away from the game.
In 2021, he started his comeback.
Tonight, he made his big league debut and threw a scoreless inning. pic.twitter.com/adSjTjxinP
— MLB (@MLB) June 30, 2022
Although uncertainty marked Appel’s MLB career, his faith in God remained the one constant.
“I think initially when I was saved, the Gospel was something that was, ‘OK, this is kind of my get-out-of-jail-free card, this is my forgiveness — forgiveness from sins and my eternal life that’s been gifted to me,'” Appel told Sports Spectrum Podcast in 2018—the year he left the MLB. “Now, instead of it still kind of being about me, it starts to just really be only about God and His glory.”
Appel said he relied on Christ when the pressure from fans and the MLB became too much to carry.
“There is contentment to be had in Christ, and Christ is the one who will give me the strength to be content in the circumstance,” he said. “It was just kind of this eye-opening lesson and revelation that God just kind of reminded me and showed me His truth in Scripture.”
In 2021, Appel returned to the sport he loves.
“I think at the end of the day, I just want to have peace and closure about my career and all the good and bad that’s happened in my baseball career,” Appel told Sports Spectrum in an interview in February. “And I think once I have closure, I think I’ll be really, really happy to move on.”
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
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