Nick Markakis retires after 15 MLB seasons with Orioles, Braves

Outfielder Nick Markakis is retiring from baseball after a 15-year MLB career with the Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves.

Markakis is a three-time Gold Glove winner, a Silver Slugger winner and a 2018 All-Star Game selection. The 37-year-old finished with a career .288 average, .357 on-base percentage and 189 home runs – including 10 or more homers in all nine seasons in Baltimore.

Markakis played the seventh-most games in right field in MLB history, and holds the MLB record for consecutive errorless games by an outfielder (398).

“I tell myself all the time, whether it is now or if I was fortunate enough to get that opportunity to be a Hall of Famer — to get that many hits — that 3,000 hits or 2,400 hits, it’s not going to define the player that I was,” Markakis told The Athletic’s Dan Connolly. “I think I played the right way and that’s all that really matters to me.”

Read more about Markakis in the Go Deeper section below.

What’s next for the Braves?

David O’Brien, Braves beat writer: While the Braves would’ve welcomed Markakis back for his leadership, their offseason priority was a big bat, by re-signing Marcell Ozuna or acquiring a comparable slugger. Once it became apparent there would be no DH in the NL in 2021, the Braves wouldn’t have had at-bats for Markakis because left field was earmarked for Ozuna once he re-signed in February. Ronald Acuña Jr. is entrenched in right field and top prospect Cristian Pache, an elite defender, is set to take over in center field. Markakis’ absence will be felt more in the clubhouse where he was a rock-solid leader.

Markakis’ legacy

Dan Connolly, Orioles senior writer: Markakis will be remembered as the consummate pro who eschewed headlines and spotlights and played hard every inning of every game for 15 seasons. He amassed almost 2,400 hits and won three Gold Gloves but was known as much for his quiet and steady clubhouse leadership. Only seven other players in baseball history appeared in more games at right field than Markakis; five of those are Hall of Famers.

Markakis memorable moment

Connolly: The beauty of Markakis is that there isn’t really one signature moment in his career. He showed up every day to play — in 11 of his 15 seasons he appeared in at least 155 games. The game that stands out most in his Orioles career, though, was on Aug. 22, 2006, when he homered three times against the Minnesota Twins as a 22-year-old rookie. The biggest at-bat for him may have been in October 2014, when he homered against Justin Verlander in Game 2 of the ALDS — his second playoff contest in his ninth season as a big-leaguer.

(Photo: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)