Veteran outfielder Nick Markakis announced his retirement from the MLB on Friday. Markakis played 15 seasons in the majors, suiting up for the Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves.
Markakis announced his decision via The Athletic, telling the magazine that he wants to spend more time with his family.
“I just think it’s my time,” said Markakis. “I think I played the right way, and that’s all that really matters to me.”
According to the 37-year-old veteran, he made the decision to retire shortly after 2020 wrapped up and didn’t attempt to land a spot on a roster for this season. Several teams reached out to Markakis to see if he was interested but couldn’t lure him into playing in 2021.
Nick Markakis was initially drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in both 2001 and 2002, but he decided to play college baseball in both instances. In 2003, he was drafted again, this time by the Orioles with the seventh overall pick, and joined Baltimore’s farm system.
Markakis made his MLB debut for the Orioles in 2006 and went on to spend nine seasons with the franchise while playing 1,365 games. He left the team in 2015 as a free agent and signed with the Braves.
In Atlanta, Markakis played some of his best baseball, earning one All-Star nod and Silver Slugger and Golden Glove Awards. He’ll retire with a .288 batting average, 2,388 hits, 189 home runs, and 1,046 RBIs.
