Nick Markakis Retires After 15 Seasons with Braves, Orioles

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Veteran MLB outfielder Nick Markakis announced his retirement Friday after 15 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves. 

Both the Orioles and Braves congratulated Markakis:

Per The Athletic (h/t ESPN), Markakis said: "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. I think I played the right way and that's all that really matters to me."

Markakis, 37, was a one-time All-Star, accomplishing the feat with Atlanta in 2018. He also won three Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger award during his career.

The Woodstock, Georgia, native made his MLB debut with the O's in 2006 and spent nine years in Baltimore before signing with the Braves prior to the 2015 season.

Markakis hit .290 or better in a season eight times in his career and had two seasons each of 20 or more home runs and 100 or more RBI.

For his career, Markakis was a .288 hitter with 2,388 hits, 189 home runs, 1,046 RBI and 1,119 runs scored.

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Markakis initially opted out of the 2020 MLB season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but he eventually changed his mind and joined the Braves after the season started. He went on to appear in 37 regular-season games, hitting a career-low .254 with one home run and 15 RBI.

He also played in 11 postseason games during the Braves' run to the National League Championship Series, hitting .216 with no homers or RBI.

Markakis never won or even played in a World Series, but he reached the playoffs in each of his final three seasons after going to the postseason just once with Baltimore.

While Markakis certainly isn't a Hall of Famer, he enjoyed a long productive career, and both Orioles and Braves fans will undoubtedly remember him for his contributions