Appel, 21, went 10-4 with four complete games and a 2.12 ERA as a senior this season at Stanford University. He recorded 130 strikeouts in his 106 1/3 innings pitched and allowed just a .203 opponent’s batting average. Appel is one of just 10 semifinalists for the National Pitcher of the Year Award as named by the College Baseball Hall of Fame.

“Drafting and signing Mark Appel was a top priority for our organization this year,” Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said. “We are an organization focused on winning championships in the future and we expect Mark to be a big part of that effort.”

Appel finished his Stanford career as the program’s all-time strikeout leader and his 372 career strikeouts rank second among active NCAA hurlers. The Pac-12 Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year this season is sixth in program history with 28 career wins and fourth with 377 2/3 innings pitched.

Appel grew up an Astros fan in West Houston before moving to California at the age of 12. He played his youth ball at the Post Oak Little League and attended Astros games at the Astrodome and Minute Maid Park. Most of Appel’s extended family lives in the Houston-area, including his parents.

Appel becomes the third right-handed pitcher selected first overall in the draft in the last five years, joining Gerrit Cole (2011, Pittsburgh) and Stephen Strasburg (2009, Washington). He is also the third right-handed pitcher taken by Houston in the first round in the last five years, a list that also includes Lance McCullers (2012-supplemental) and Mike Foltynewicz (2010).

“Mark has been one of the premier talents in college baseball for the past few years, and he cemented that status this spring with his best season yet,” Elias said.  “He possesses a bulldog mentality, an ideal pitcher’s frame, an elite track record, and he commands three plus pitches – everything we look for in a pitcher.  We feel the potential is there for him to become a mainstay at the very forefront of our rotation for a long time.”

The Astros have signed 23 of their 40 draft picks this season, including seven of their top 10.

Martinez, who was at Triple-A Oklahoma City, hit .182 with one homer and three RBIs in 11 games with the Astros this year before being designated for assignment. He batted .237 with six homers and 14 RBIs last year for Houston, but had an inability to stay healthy.

Basford, a 37th-round pick by the Yankees last year, made his first appearance of the season Monday for Staten Island and allowed four hits, including a homer, in two innings. The 22-year-old right-hander was drafted out of Samford University.

A former top prospect of the Mets who was claimed off waivers prior to the 2012 season by Houston, Martinez battled for a spot in the Astros’ outfield to start the season, but wound up beginning the season on the disabled list.

Martinez in February was among five baseball players connected to a South Florida clinic that’s been linked to performance-enhancing drugs, according to an ESPN “Outside the Lines” report.

The Astros took Appel, a right-handed pitcher and Houston native who didn’t sign with the Pirates after being taken in the first round last year, with hopes they could sign him quickly. Boras told MLB.com no agreement has been reached, but the agent’s presence in Houston is a clear sign a deal is imminent.

“Jeff and I are going to talk about things tonight and we’ll see,” Boras said. “We’re certainly close enough for me to come here and talk, that’s for sure.”

When asked if a deal could be announced as early as Wednesday, Boras said he didn’t want to put a timetable on negotiations.

“Obviously, we’re in a position we think we can work something out,” he said.

The Astros have signed six of their top 10 picks, including second-round pick Andrew Thurman from UC-Irvine, who officially signed on Monday. The assigned slot value for the No. 1 pick is $7.8 million, but several reports late last week indicated Appel could sign for somewhere around $6.5 million.

Regardless, Boras doesn’t see money as a stumbling block.

“I’m here because I think there’s obviously enough fruit on the tree to think you’re going to get something done,” Boras told MLB.com.

Appel’s decision to return to Stanford after being picked No. 8 overall by Pittsburgh last year, bypassing a $3.8 million bonus, has paid off. He was actually better than he was as a junior at Stanford, finishing 10-4 with a 2.12 ERA, a .203 batting average against, 130 strikeouts and just 23 walks in 106 1/3 innings this year.

And being drafted by the Astros, the team he cheered for as a kid, has been a dream come true, Boras said.

“I don’t think there’s any question from the start that if Houston was an option, he wanted to pursue it, being able to have his family near and being raised an Astros fan,” Boras said. “Mark Appel got to go to a great college and his work ethic and perseverance and confidence in himself says a lot about the character that he takes the path he takes.

“Whenever you’re able to get better and go through the process he went through in the last year, it says a lot about why Houston took him and a lot about why he chose Houston.”

While it was reported late last week the Astros and Appel had reached a deal, Luhnow said he wanted wait until Appel’s commencement exercises at Stanford on Sunday to ramp up negotiations.

“We’re trying to move it as fast as we can,” he said. “We wanted to give him the weekend to enjoy his commencement. We’re optimistic we can move it pretty quickly.”

Luhnow said the Astros have yet to meet with Appel or his representative, Scott Boras, face-to-face, but there have been solid conversations.

“We feel good about where it’s headed,” Luhnow said.

When asked if Appel could be in the fold this week, Luhnow didn’t hesitate.

“I hope so,” he said.

Appel, a Houston native, went 10-4 with a 2.12 ERA this year as as senior at Stanford. He held opponents to a .203 batting average, had 130 strikeouts and issued just 23 walks in 106 1/3 innings.

The rosters are subject to change and will not be officially finalized until each club begins league play. Tri-City is scheduled to begin its season tonight while Greeneville begins play Thursday. The Gulf Coast League Astros will start their season on Friday.

Last year, Tri-City set a club record with 51 wins and advanced to the New York-Penn League Championship Series for the second time in three seasons.

The combined record of the Astros’ Minor League clubs this season is 162-125 (.564), which ranks third among all 30 MLB organizations. The Astros’ top three affiliates are currently in first place while Corpus Christi (Double-A) and Lancaster (Class A advanced) each clinched first half titles in their respective leagues to qualify for the postseason.

TRI-CITY

PITCHERS                OUTFIELDERS

Bushue, Tanner           Gulbransen, Dan

Christensen, Pat          Kemmer, Jon

Comer, Kevin               Mitchell, Ronnie

Fant, Randall               Ramsay, James

Feliz, Michael              Toney, D’Andre

Frias, Edison

Garcia, Christian

Grills, Evan

Houser, Adrian

Lo, Chia-Jen (Rehab)

Minnis, Albert

Morton, Zach

Walter, Andrew

Westwood, Kyle

CATCHERS

Alvarez, Luis

Genoves, Ernesto

INFIELDERS

Dineen, Ryan

Fernandez, Jose

Gregor, Conrad

Kemp, Tony

Lindauer, Thomas

Moon, Chan Jong

GREENEVILLE

PITCHERS                  

Abreu, Alan

Brunnemann, Tyler

Chrismon, William

Franco, Enderson

Gustave, Jandel

Holley, Krishawn

Kessay, Sebastian

Lee, Chris

Mills, Jordan

Osborne, J.D.

Tiburcio, Frederick

CATCHERS

Gingras, Ricky

Gonzalez, Alfredo

Moronta, Cristian

INFIELDERS

Gomez, Edwin

Ibanez, Angel

Mayfield, Jack

Rivera, Darwin

Santana, Juan

OUTFIELDERS

Gonzalez, Wallace

Mathis, Tanner

Wik, Marc

GULF COAST LEAGUE

PITCHERS                         OUTFIELDERS    

Barrios, Agapito                    De La Rosa, Luis

Connolly, Ryan                     Laguna, Mesac

Culbreth, Brandon               Marte, Ydarqui

De Leon, Ambiorix               Martin, Jason

De Los Santos, Samil           Reynolds, Javaris

Ferguson, Kevin

Montero, Jose

Ramirez, Gerardo

Rivera, Raul

Scribner, Troy

CATCHERS

Booth, Brett

Clements, Brett

Coa, Pedro

Nottingham, Jacob

INFIELDERS

Gonzalez, Alexander

Hipp, Parker

Mejia, Yonathan

Reynoso, Luis

Silfa, Yoel

Solano, Jose

White, Brian

That snapped a six-game losing streak and improved the Astros to 10-30 at roughly the one-quarter point of the season, which meant they were on pace for 120-plus losses. When Barnes caught Cabrera’s ball, the Astros celebrated and exchanged high-fives like they’ve done after every win, but you got the feeling that win meant something more. And a month later, that’s now clear.

That win over the Tigers began a stretch when the Astros have gone 16-14 — a solid month of baseball from a team many thought would be the worst of all-time. They key has been starting pitching, with Bud Norris, Lucas Harrell, Jordan Lyles, Erik Bedard and Dallas Keuchel combining to post a 3.03 ERA in those 30 games, as the Astros carry a 26-44 record into Monday night’s game against the White Sox.

If you remember, the Astros went 15-15 in their final 30 games last year, with interim manager Tony DeFrancesco pushing every button he could to get the most of an expanded roster. The Astros exploited every match-up on a nightly basis with their deep bullpen and managed to finish strong, though you certainly can’t fooled by performances in September.

This time, it’s different. Norris, though on the trading blocking, and Harrell, Lyles and Keuchel could be key pieces to the future, as long with hitters Brandon Barnes, Matt Dominguez, Jason Castro and Jose Altuve. They’ve all done their part at one time or another at the plate.

And now the kids are knocking on the door. Top pitching prospect Jarred Cosart and top hitting prospect Jonathan Singleton are both at Triple-A and could be in Houston later this summer, and we all know about the talent at Double-A. We could start to see some of these guys in the next few months, but for now the Major League club is performing better than most had imagined.

The team has yet to announce it, but second-round pick Andrew Thurman told MLB.com earlier Friday he had agreed to terms and would be in Houston on Monday for a physical and to put pen to paper.

Gregor, 21, becomes the Astros highest selection to officially sign since last weekend’s Draft. The first baseman/outfielder out of Vanderbilt hit .308 this season with 48 RBIs and a .440 on-base percentage, while finishing tied for sixth in the country with 54 walks. A Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American, Gregor was named to the SEC All-Tournament Team this summer while Vanderbilt advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals. Gregor was signed by Astros area scout Nick Venuto.

“Conrad is an advanced, skilled hitter with a chance to be a dangerous middle-of-the-order bat,” Elias said. “He has a sweet left-handed swing and a very disciplined approach that has worn out opposing pitchers in the SEC and the Cape Cod League.  He has big raw power that we expect will continue to emerge as he develops, and with his speed, he could see time in the outfield as well as first base.”

Nottingham, 18, hit .543 with seven homers and 31 RBIs for Redlands High School in California this season. He was named the 2013 Citrus Belt League MVP, while leading his club to a share of the league title, and also earned 2013 California All-Region Second Team honors. Nottingham was signed by Astros area scout Brad Budzinski.

“Jacob is a very promising young catching prospect,” Elias said. “He was a multi-sport athlete in high school and has shown us big game power along with a plus throwing arm. We are thrilled to get a catcher with his tools and leadership qualities into our system.”

 The Astros have signed 17 of their 40 draft picks this season, including five of their top 10 (not including Thurman). The players agreeing to terms on contracts are listed below.

Rnd (Pick), Player,  School, Ht.-Wt , Assigned to, Date Signed

4 (107), 1B Conrad Gregor, Vanderbilt, 6-2, 220, Tri-City, June 13

5 (137), 2B Tony Kemp, Vanderbilt, 5-7, 165, Tri-City, June 12

6 (167), C Jacob Nottingham, Redlands HS (Calif.), 6-3, 200, GCL Astros, June 13

7 (197), OF James Ramsay, South Florida, 5-11, 180, Tri-City, June 10

8 (227), CF Jason Martin, Orange Lutheran HS (Calif.), 5-10, 175, GCL Astros, June 12

13 (377), RHP Kyle Westwood, North Florida, 6-3, 190, Tri-City, June 10

21 (617), OF Jon Kemme, Brewton-Parker College, 6-2, 215, Tri-City, June 13

22 (647), LHP Sebastian Kessay, Scottsdale CC, 6-2, 200, Greeneville, June 10

23 (677), SS Thomas Lindauer, Illinois, 6-2, 175, Tri-City, June 12

25 (737), LHP Albert Minnis, Wichita State, 6-0, 190, Tri-City, June 12

26 (767), RHP William Chrismon, Christopher Newport U., 6-2, 227, Greeneville, June 12

27 (797), RHP Pat Christensen, La Salle, 6-3, 200, Tri-City, June 12

29 (857), LHP Randall Fant, Arkansas, 6-4, 190, Tri-City, June 12

32 (947), RHP Zach Morton, Northwestern, 6-2, 180, Tri-City, June 12

34 (1007), C Brett Booth, Alabama, 5-10, 205, GCL Astros, June 10

38 (1127), OF Ronnie Mitchel, Dallas Baptist, 5-11, 200, Tri-City, June 13

40 (1187), RHP Tyler Brunnemann, Hardin Simmons, 6-2, 225, Greeneville, June 12

Thurman, taken with the No. 40 overall pick, is scheduled to fly to Houston on Sunday and take a physical and sign his contract on Monday. He said he plans to report to the Astros’ short-season Tri-City affiliate.

“I’m just very excited,” he said. “I feel honored and very blessed to have this opportunity.”

Meanwhile, the Astros will soon their attention to No. 1 overall pick Mark Appel, a right-handed pitcher from Stanford. A report by Jeff Passan of Yahoo on Friday indicated the Astros and Appel were “nearing a deal” and could have an agreement by next week.

In a text message to MLB.com, Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow wrote the club plans to engage Appel next week. He graduates from Stanford on Sunday. The prescribed slot bonus for the No. 1 pick is $7.8 million.

“I’m hopeful we can move quickly once we start [the] dialogue, but there is no timeframe yet,” Luhnow wrote.

The Astros announced the signing of nine additional draft picks Thursday, bringing the total number signed to 14. That doesn’t include fourth-round pick Conrad Gregor of Vanderbilt, who has signed, or Thurman, who the Astros envision of a middle-of-the-rotation starter.

“It’s what I’ve always been working towards,” Thurman said. “It’s been my dream since I was a little kid to play professional baseball. It’s kind of a surreal feeling, but I still have to work hard. That part of me hasn’t gone anywhere.”

Terms of the Thurman deal aren’t known, but the slot bonus for that pick is $1,397,200.

When asked about Thurman on Friday, Astros scouting director Mike Elias said: “We feel talks are going very smoothly and we expect he will sign at some point, too. Both sides are making progress, everybody’s on the same page. He hasn’t signed a contract yet, so nothing is finalized. We anticipate getting him into an Astros uniform sooner or later.”

Thurman’s fastball could be a plus pitch in the future — he can reach back for a mid-90s heater when he needs to. He throws a curve and a slider, with the former a bit better than the latter, and his changeup is a deceptive offspeed offering.

Thurman’s good command lets his stuff play up and he can move his fastball in and out, going right after hitters with his very strong feel for pitching. That was on full display in the Cape Cod League last summer, when he struck out 49 hitters over 39 innings in seven starts.

“He was somebody we viewed as late first-round talent, and to get him at 40, we were a little surprised he was there,” Elias said when Thurman was drafted. “We’re very comfortable calling him a mid-rotation starter in the future.”

Gregor, taken in the fourth round of last week’s First-Year Player Draft, announced the signing on his Twitter account:

Proud to be a member of the #Astros organization! Excited to officially get my pro career started on Monday! Thanks for all the support!—
Conrad Gregor (@conradgregor55) June 13, 2013

Gregor hit .308 with three homers and 48 RBIs and a .440 on-base percentage for the Commodores this year, starting 65 games. He becomes the 14th of Houston’s 50 Draft picks to sign. Contract terms weren’t disclosed, but the 107th overall pick has a prescribed slot bonus of $481,900.

Earlier Thursday, the Astros announced the signing of nine Draft picks, including Tony Kemp, who was Gregor’s former teammate at Vanderbilt.

The other announced signings Thursday were:  center fielder Jason Martin (eighth round), shortstop Thomas Lindauer (23rd round), left-hander Albert Minnis (25th round), right-hander William Chrismon (26th round), right-hander Pat Christensen (27th round), left-hander Randall Fant (29th round), right-hander Zachary Morton (32nd round) and right-hander Tyler Brunnemann (40th round) were all signed to contracts. <p>

Ryan met with the general manager of the Alamodome and head of the San Antonio Convention Center and informed them the Astros are interested in playing the Rangers there next year. The Rangers, who played two games against the Padres in the Alamodome in March, are under contract for another exhibition game there next year.

“I just basically told all the guys in my family, ‘Hey, maybe we ought to try to put the Astros over here,’” Ryan said. “I came over to meet with the city and just told them that’s what I’d like to do. Everybody’s excited, and now we’re going to have to wait and see how all the schedules work out. I think it could be a really fun event.”

In March, 75,210 fans turned out for two exhibition games between the Rangers and Padres, whose Double-A team is in San Antonio, in what was billed as Big League Weekend. The football stadium was configured for baseball to include a right-field wall that was only 285 feet from home plate.

Ryan said though the feedback has been good from Astros fans and people in San Antonio, nothing can be planned until schedules come out in the fall.

“It’s still a wish at this point,” he said. “The Alamodome is in the business of putting on a lot of events, and that’s why I needed to get over here. I wanted them to know the Astros and Rangers have interest in doing the game and it comes down to the date and making it work with Opening Day and Spring Training.”

Ryan, who said he was having dinner Friday night with his legendary father, Nolan, likes the idea of bringing the Astros to central Texas to try to build up the fan base.

“We have a lot of challenges, starting with people want to see the games on TV,” said Ryan, hired last month. “One of the things I want to do and I helped to do with the Rangers, is build the fan base in the out markets, and this could be a very big step in trying to get back on everybody’s radar.”