Mark Appel was the number one overall pick in the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft by the Houston Astros. In 2015, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies and at the age of 26, stepped away from baseball in 2018. After a few years away from the game, he announced he was making a comeback to chase his MLB dream and return to pitch professionally. He would appear in 23 games with the Phillies AA and AAA minor league affiliates striking out 60 batters in 71 innings pitched.  In college, Mark was a standout pitcher for the Stanford Cardinal where he won National Pitcher of the Year in 2012 and in 2013 was named the Pac-12 Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year.  Today on the podcast, we talk to Mark Appel about chasing his MLB dream, returning to pitch after 3 years, his viral social media post from September 2021, and whether he is going to continue his pitching career.  Looking for a great gift idea? Order our new devotional book: "The Increase 52 Week Devotional: Inspiring Stories of Faith from the World of Pro Sports."