Astros draft Stanford pitcher Mark Appel at No. 1

In this May 20, 2013 photo, Stanford pitcher Mark Appel poses in the dugout of the Sunken Diamond in Stanford, Calif. The Houston Astros have the top pick in the Major League Baseball draft for the second straight year, with the team considering several players to take No. 1 including a pair of pitchers in Stanford’s Appel and Oklahoma’s Jonathan Gray and a pair of third basemen in North Carolina’s Colin Moran and San Diego’s Kris Bryant. AP Photo/Eric Risberg

SECAUCUS, New Jersey — The Houston Astros have selected Stanford University pitcher Mark Appel with the No. 1 pick in the Major League Baseball draft.

Appel was considered a possible top pick last year, but Houston passed on the hometown prospect and instead chose 17-year-old shortstop Carlos Correa from Puerto Rico. Appel was chosen by Pittsburgh at No. 8 but turned down a $3.8 million offer and returned to Stanford for his senior season.

The move paid off for Appel, a hard-throwing right-hander with a fastball in the mid-90s (mph; 140s kph). He went 10-4 with a 2.12 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 106 1-3 innings this season for the Cardinal.

The draft, which is held over three days and 40 rounds, started Thursday night with the first two rounds at MLB Network Studios.