Houston Astros Roster: Mark Appel of Stanford Chosen No. 1 in MLB Draft Pick
The Houston Astros selected Stanford pitcher Mark Appel with the No. 1 pick in the Major League Baseball draft Thursday night, ESPN reported.
Appel was considered a possible top pick last year, but Houston passed and chose 17-year-old shortstop Carlos Correa from Puerto Rico instead.
Appel was No. 8 with Pittsburgh but turned down a $3.8 million deal and returned to Stanford for his senior year season.
Appel is a right-handed pitcher with a fastball in the mid-90 mph range.
After going 10-4 with a 2.12 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 106 1-3 innings this season for the Cardinal, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound Appel is reportedly expected to earn roughly $2 million more than he the offer he turned down with the Pirates.
"This is just a surreal moment for me and my family," Appel said in an interview on MLB Network.
"Just knowing that I'm going back home is a real honor," added Appel.
The deadline for MLB teams to sign draft picks is July 12. However, that rule does not apply to Appel because he is a college senior.
It marked the fourth time the Astros had the No. 1 pick in the draft. ,
The draft order is determined by reverse finish -- worst to best -- in the overall standings from last season.
With the No. 2 pick the Chicago Cubs had the No. 2 pick and selected San Diego's Kris Bryant.
Bryant led Division I college players with 31 home runs this season. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound junior is a Golden Spikes finalist and Collegiate Baseball magazine's national player of year who also was leading the nation with 66 walks, 80 runs scored and an .820 slugging percentage.
Oklahoma right-hander Jonathan Gray was chosen third by the Colorado Rockies. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound pitcher throws a fastball in the mid- to upper-90s range, at times reaching 100 mph.
Colorado apparently was not scared off by published reports that noted unidentified sources who said Gray tested positive for the medication Adderall during baseball's predraft drug testing program.
The draft, which is held over three days and 40 rounds, started June 6 with the first two rounds at MLB Network Studios.
