There have been rumors for months that Stanford Cardinal ace pitcher Mark Appel would be selected by the Houston Astros with the No. 1 pick at the 2012 MLB Draft. A few whispers in recent days suggested the Astros may be looking elsewhere with their pick, but those reports were nullified on Sunday, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN.
According to a tweet from Bowden the Astros have decided to select Appel on Monday with their top pick.
According to source the Houston Astros are expected to select Stanford RHP Mark Appel with the first over all selection in tomorrows draft.
— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) June 3, 2012
Appel is a right-handed pitcher with excellent stuff on the mound. For an Astros team that has been pretty miserable the last few seasons he is capable of turning the franchise around at the top of their rotation, something their new ownership would love as they make the move to the American League East.
This is still just a report and is yet to be confirmed by Houston, but this seems like a lock at this point.
The 2012 MLB Draft is set to begin on June 4.
For more on Appel and the Stanford Cardinal be sure to check out Rule of Tree. Astros fans should visit Crawfish Boxes for their draft coverage.