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In case you thought otherwise, yes, it appears Mark Appel will indeed move quickly through the Astros' system. After just two starts in the short-season New York-Penn League, the Astros have promoted Appel, the polished right-hander out of Stanford and the top overall pick of the June draft, to Low-A Quad Cities of the Midwest League.
In those two starts for Tri-City, Appel logged an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.20 while striking out six and walking two. Appel was unimpressive in his first start as a pro, but bear in mind that he was pitching after a layoff measured in weeks. In his second start, he looked much stronger (box score via MiLB.com).
In Quad Cities, Appel will join shortstop Carlos Correa, the first overall pick of the 2012 MLB draft.
Seeing as how it's not even mid-July yet, you can bet that Appel, barring unexpected struggles, isn't done advancing up the organizational ladder this season.
