When you hear the name Nick Markakis, what comes to your mind?
Do you think “Gold Glover?” How about “fan favorite?” What about “underrated?”
All of these fit the description. But would it be crazy to think “National Baseball Hall of Famer?”
Markakis made his MLB debut on April 3, 2006, with a Baltimore Orioles team trying to get back to its winning ways.
Coming into the big leagues at just 22 years old, Markakis opened the eyes of not just Orioles fans but Major League Baseball fans, finishing sixth in AL Rookie of the Year voting.
The Young Harris College alumni would slash .291/.351/.448 with 16 home runs and 62 RBIs in an impressive 147 games, which exceeded rookie limits in 2006.
Markakis would carry over his rookie season success into his sophomore campaign, hitting .300/.362/.485 with 23 home runs and a career-high 122 RBIs in 161 games. In his junior season, he would lead the entire American League in wins above replacement and times on-base.
But he certainly couldn’t keep that success and consistency, right? Wrong.
Do you want to know how consistently good this man was over 15 years in the batter’s box? Markakis never hit below .254 in his career and only hit below .270 in his career twice. He also earned a Silver Slugger Award under his belt with the Atlanta Braves.
The man was a silent star. And what’s even crazier is that he only made one All-Star appearance, which was in 2018 with Atlanta, when he played all 162 games, hit 14 home runs and drove in 93.
Markakis wasn’t just a hitting machine at the plate; he could really play the outfield.
He won three Gold Glove Awards, two with the Orioles (2011 & 2014) and one with Atlanta (2018). He also posted a career .994 fielding percentage, which is higher than Hall of Fame outfielders Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr. and Orioles legend, Frank Robinson.
He does, however, have one dark spot: the postseason.
Even though he didn’t play in many postseason games (16), Markakis hit just .188/.246/.266 in 69 plate appearances in October.
However, the one thing that could secure Markakis a plaque in Cooperstown is his hits total, collecting 2,388 of them, more than Hall of Famers Ryne Sandberg, Jim Thome, Barry Larkin, Joe DiMaggio and Mike Schmidt, just to name a few.
Markakis also hit 183 career home runs, more than Hall of Famers Tony Gwynn, Lou Brock, Tim Raines, Wade Boggs and Jackie Robinson. Again, home runs are not an “end all, be all” when it comes to consideration.
But will Markakis’ stats be enough to put him in Cooperstown? The now-40-year-old’s name will be on the 2026 National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, and he will certainly get consideration from voters for his efforts and consistency.
So what do you think of when you hear the name Nick Markakis? Do you think “Orioles Hall of Famer?” Do you think “above-average outfielder?” Or do you think “Cooperstown bound?”
What do you think the future holds for Nick Markakis? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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