Mark Appel is Ready to be Next Man Up in Phillies' Bullpen

The former first overall pick could be the first name the Philadelphia Phillies call in for reinforcements.

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At 30-years-old, Mark Appel has already experienced one of the most storied minor league careers in Major League Baseball's history.

He was drafted three separate times, bore the weight of a first overall pick, dealt with multiple injuries and setbacks, and ultimately took an "indefinite" hiatus from the game he devoted his life to.

Fortunately for the Phillies, said indefinite hiatus turned out to be a four-year break, as Appel would return to the organization for the 2021 minor league season.

The first year back wasn't the easiest for Appel. He began the season in the Iron Pigs' rotation, and immediately struggled with his command. He walked 49 batters in 2021, while striking out 60 across 71.1 innings, eventually moving to the bullpen for his final four appearances to round out the year.

Yet, even while things didn't go exactly to plan, Appel was just glad to be back doing what he loved.

"Last year was great," Appel said. "Last year was like a really fun round of golf when you haven't played in a while. You didn't have a good score at the end of the game, but you had enough good shots to keep you coming back."

And come back he did, but this time, he would take on a slightly different role. Upon arriving for 2022 spring training, Appel was notified he'd be bumping to the bullpen full-time, a decision which paid immediate dividends.

Thus far in 2022, Appel has logged a 2.01 ERA across 22.1 innings pitched, alongside a 1.03 WHIP. He's struck out 18 batters, and only walked six. A significant improvement.

"I came in with this mindset, of like, every day could be my last day," Appel said. "So let me just go out and empty the tank every day ... I've got nothing to lose."

His mentality, paired with his confidence in his health, as well as his repertoire, has powered the former first overall pick to a career season.

Primarily working with a fastball and slider combination in relief, Appel has seen major improvement in his ability to command the baseball. He's also cleaned up his arm path a bit, thanks to the Phillies' development staff, and has worked to maintain the repeatability of his delivery, which has yielded substantial results.

Spending the morning watching some Mark Appel outings and his first inning last night was a doozy … Dots the fastball for four pitches and gets a K at 97, drops the hammer for a K, then induces soft contact that Nick Maton makes a great play on pic.twitter.com/u7mqLmzeks

— Mitch Rupert (@Mitch_Rupert) May 7, 2022

His coaches had nothing but great things to say, citing the considerable power of his mentality and work ethic, as well as his impressive results movement and velocity-wise. His mid-to-high 90's fastball combined with his nasty slider, occasional changeup, and deceptive delivery, all look to combine as a recipe for success for Appel.

The righty has also put up reverse splits thus far into the year, meaning he's been especially effective against lefties. This would bode well for his chances to fill a multi-inning role, facing multiple hitters from both sides of the plate. However, Appel has also received his fair share of high-leverage innings, and is 3-for-3 in save opportunities with Lehigh Valley.

"[High leverage appearances] are really fun. I love the fact that I've gotten a few of those this year," Appel said. 

"Fun" isn't the way your typical pitcher would describe a high-leverage appearance, and when asked, Appel expanded, "If they hit a home run off me, and I blow a save... shoot, two years ago I was on my couch. Where else would I rather be, you know?"

Ultimately, Appel said he doesn't mind where he's pitching, whether that's the majors or the minors, in relief or in the rotation. He just wants to play.

"The goal for all of us is to get up to the big leagues and help the Phillies win some games... At the end of the day, and I genuinely mean this, I literally just want to fill whatever role the Phillies need that I can do well."

Outside of the game of baseball, Mark Appel is a family man. He took some time on the "other side" as he put it, and he loved every second of it. But now, he's back with the Phillies organization out of pure love for the game, and is having more fun than ever on the baseball field.

Appel mentioned that he's been doing a lot of writing. It's helped him make more sense of the last few years, and gives him energy in the mornings. It's ironic, so many stories have been written about Appel's career over the years: its ups, its downs, and everything in between. 

This time around, Appel is ready to pick up the pen and write his own story, one that is sure to be worth reading.

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