Atlanta Braves: Time to appreciate Nick Markakis

Very quietly, Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Markakis has put together an excellent career. it is time to start appreciating his accomplishments.

One can understand why Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Markakis has been overlooked throughout his career. He has been a steady, albeit unspectacular, player during his 13 year career. Outside of his rookie campaign, Markakis has had between 161 and 191 hits. Only twice has Markakis reached a batting average of .300 or better; conversely, he has had a batting average under .270 only once, hitting .269 in 2016.

Considering that Markakis has been more of a steady producer, instead of a star, it is not a surprise that his accomplishments in the game have gone relatively unnoticed. He has never made an All Star Game, nor received a vote for the MVP award. He has won two Gold Glove awards, but one could argue he deserved more recognition for his defense as well, given that he has led the league in runs saved in right twice, and is the all time leader in baseball history amongst right fielders in fielding percentage.

As good as Markakis has been defensively, it is his ability with the bat that is deserving of attention. Heading into Friday’s action, he had a career .288/.359/.424 batting line, with an OPS+ of 111. Again, those are solid numbers, but not anything that would immediate draw attention. However, it is his hit total, 2092 heading into Friday, that makes his career worth another look.

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As Albert Pujols finished his march to 3000 hits last night, it led to the conversation of who the next players could be to reach that milestone. There, we find Markakis, who has the seventh most hits of any active player in the game. He holds the second highest hit total of anyone who has not made an All Star Game since the MidSummer Classic was introduced, trailing only Joe Kuhel amongst players who spent the majority of their careers in the All Star Era.

And yet, it is Markakis who has one of the better chances to join Pujols in that fraternity someday. He is only 34 years old, and has been extremely durable throughout his career. In fact, at this point, Bill James has given Markakis a 28% chance to reach 3000 hits in his career, an impressively high percentage for a player that has slid under the radar.

This year, as he heads towards free agency, Markakis is showing that he still has plenty of juice left in his bat. He leads the National League in hits and batting average, and has drawn an impressive 20 walks in his 140 plate appearances. That run without having made an All Star Game, or earning an MVP vote, could finally come to an end.

Meanwhile, as Markakis continues to collect hit after hit, he is also building up an interesting Hall of Fame case. Every single eligible player to reach that milestone, with the notable exception of Rafael Palmeiro, has eventually been enshrined. Could Markakis, even without any accolades aside from his two Gold Glove awards, find his way to immortality?

Next: Have the Braves arrived?

In another six years or so, current Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Markakis could be chasing down the 3000 hit plateau himself. Meanwhile, his career deserves the attention it is starting to receive.