Baltimore Orioles: 5 Best Players Half-Way Through The Season

4. Nick Markakis, RF

Jun 18, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Baltimore Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis (21) at bat against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Markakis is perhaps one of the most underrated players in baseball, and he has been for a number of years now. He well deserved a spot in the All-Star game several times but failed to receive one. Looking at his numbers; I don’t understand why.

He has started every year since 2006 and has had an average lower than .284 just once, and has never had an average lower than .270. Although he has only hit 134 home runs, he has also hit 637 RBI’s through his first eight-and-a-half years. He owns a career OBP of .360 and strikes out very infrequently. This year he has continued his consistent play, hitting .298 with an OBP of .358.

The one knock on Markakis is that he hasn’t lived up to what he was supposed to be. When he came into the league in 2006, he was expected to be a constant 25+ home run hitter. Although he hasn’t been a middle of the lineup type of guy, he has done wonders for the Baltimore Orioles at the top of the lineup over the years, and I don’t think that they’re complaining about his lack of power.