It took almost 10 full years, but Mark Appel finally made his highly anticipated MLB debut.
Drafted by the Houston Astros in 2013 as the first pick, Appel dealt with injuries throughout his minor league career and after being traded over to the Philadelphia Phillies and dealing with more injury struggles, he decided to call it quits.
But that wouldn’t last long, as Appel kept grinding it out.
He ultimately got another chance with the Phillies and on June 29 of this year, he finally made his debut.
On Twitter, Appel opened up about this moment and what it meant to him after so many years of fighting through injuries.
June 29, 2022
Philadelphia, PAAt 30 years old, I made my MLB debut.
When I stood on that mound in Citizens Bank Park last Wednesday, I looked around the stadium taking in this once in a lifetime moment.
And that’s all it was… just a moment.
[Reflections from my debut 👇] pic.twitter.com/zDcIKG192i
— Mark Appel (@markappel26) July 6, 2022
A Dream Come True
Appel has had a wild journey.
Not long after being drafted, it seemed as if he had turned into a bust.
But now, Appel is in the big leagues and has made his debut.
That’s certainly a moment he’ll never forget as long as he lives.
He’s fought through so much and has more than earned his spot on a big-league roster.
You have to feel good for him.
When you have to deal with that many injuries on top of being the first overall pick in a draft, the pressure starts to mount.
But Appel kept his cool and pulled himself from the depths of defeat, which culminated in a moment that he’ll remember for the rest of his life.
It may have taken him almost 10 years to fulfill his dream, but at 30 years old, his career is finally underway.
And the fans in Philadelphia were cheering him on after such a long journey to finally get to where he dreamed of being for so many years.
NEXT: Kyle Schwarber Reaches A New Gear Every June
