Nick Markakis Retires After 15 Seasons With Orioles, Braves

After 15 major-league seasons with the Orioles and Braves, Nick Markakis is retiring from baseball.

Markakis revealed his plan to retire to The Athletic and said he intends to spend more time with his wife and three sons.

"I'm gonna be a stay-at-home dad. My wife is actually back working. She's enjoying herself, being a personal trainer. I'm just gonna take care of the house and take care of the boys," Markakis said. "I've missed so much over the years and sacrificed a lot. I think this is the least I can do for them."

Markakis said he reached his retirement decision shortly after the Braves' 2020 postseason ended, and while a few teams expressed interest in the impending free agent, he didn't pursue any possible contracts. He only told his retirement plan to his close circle until now. 

The 37-year-old spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Orioles, who selected him with the seventh pick in the 2003 amateur draft. Debuting in 2006, the young outfielder hit .291 with 16 homers as a rookie and quickly became a fan favorite. 

Markakis and the Orioles won the American League East in 2014, reaching the playoffs for the first time in his career. In the AL Division Series, he homered off Justin Verlander to help his club beat the Tigers and advance to the ALCS, where Baltimore lost to the Royals.

After nine years in Baltimore, Markakis, a Georgia native, signed with the Braves prior to the 2015 season. He helped Atlanta reach the postseason for three straight years from 2018-20. At 34, he earned his lone All-Star Game appearance in 2018.

Over 15 seasons, Markakis compiled a slash line of .288/.357/.423 while driving in 1,046 runs. His 2,388 career hits rank him 127th in MLB history.

As a three-time Gold Glove winner, he holds the record for most consecutive games without an error for an outfielder at 398.