2012 MLB Draft Results: Mark Appel Drops to Pirates at 8th Overall Pick

By selecting Stanford pitcher Mark Appel with the eighth pick of the 2012 MLB draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates have secured a stud pitcher who will make a quick journey to the major leagues.

And they got an absolute steal, as Appel was thought by many to go No. 1 to the Houston Astros. 

Let's take a further look at the newest Pirate.

Assortment of Pitches

First, Appel's fastball, which ESPN's Keith Law has rated as a 70. Appel's No. 1 will sit in the mid-to-upper 90s, but his big frame (6'5", 215 pounds) gives him the strength to reel back and touch 98 or 99 in the later innings. 

It's a plus pitch if there ever was one. 

Up next is Appel's changeup, which can be downright nasty, as seen here:

Appel still needs some work with it, as it's not always as dominating as the above video shows. He often keeps it up and isn't always as deceptive as he needs to be, but the potential for it to be a plus pitch in the majors is certainly there.

Last is Appel's curveball, which acts more as a curve-slider hybrid, or an 11-to-5, if you will. Much like with his changeup, Appel can embarrass hitters with his curve, but he isn't always consistent with it. 

As far as control goes, Appel walked just 26 batters in 119 innings during his junior season with Stanford and compiled a WHIP just under 1.00. As he continues to develop, Appel should be a stellar control pitcher in the majors.

Projection

Appel has the size, production, mechanics and three good pitches that all suggest he is going to make a quick run to the majors. 

And that's a good sign for the Pirates, who stand at 27-26 but could use some more pitching talent to hit the majors as soon as possible

If I were to guess, I would say Appel makes it to the majors by 2013, likely sometime in the summer so the Pirates will get an extra year of arbitration.

Appel doesn't have the appeal of the No. 1 picks from the past few years, but he is going to make a very solid impact very soon. 

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