The Nick Markakis 2,000th hit countdown thread

[Frobby]

2 hours ago, OrioleDog said:

Rolls out of bed after a month and a half, 2-for-2 off Scherzer.

And then a sac fly to the warning track.    Ends up 2 for 4.

In the process, he passed Joe Torre for 139th place all-time with 2,343 hits.    Realistically, he has a shot to pass Billy Herman (2,345), Orlando Cepeda (2,351), Joe Judge (2,352) and Carlton Fisk (2,356) before the season ends.

[Just Regular]

Only a fine play from Victor Robles (lapping the field in Outs Above Average MLB-wide this year) prevented the third batted ball from being a bases-clearing double.

https://www.mlb.com/gameday/braves-vs-nationals/2019/09/13/565966#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=videos,game=565966

Interestingly, Drew Waters, the Braves biggest prospect threat to Nick not having Atlanta keep or use him for another 600 PA next year, is from Woodstock, GA just like Nick.

[Frobby]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27609548/why-september-return-nick-markakis-braves-october-difference-maker

[Il BuonO]

Hasn’t missed a beat since coming back, 4-5 with two RBI last night.

[Frobby]

Nick finished 2019 with 2,355 hits, 136th on the all time list, one behind Carlton Fisk.    Realistic goals for him would be to pass the 2,500 hit mark and get into the top 100 all time (Buddy Bell is currently 100th at 2,514).    I think this may have been his last year as an everyday player, but we’ll see.    As an everyday player those goals would be in reach in 2020 if he stayed healthy.    

[weams]

 

[Just Regular]

Happy for Nick - he should have the inside track for an Opening Day job.  Everyone in the world figures Drew Waters will be a better player a few years from now, but maybe not by Tax Day, Memorial Day, the All-Star break...

It was reported the Braves will try and chase Donaldson - getting Flowers and Markakis at lower prices I guess helps that.

 

[Frobby]

5 hours ago, OrioleDog said:

Happy for Nick - he should have the inside track for an Opening Day job.  Everyone in the world figures Drew Waters will be a better player a few years from now, but maybe not by Tax Day, Memorial Day, the All-Star break...

It was reported the Braves will try and chase Donaldson - getting Flowers and Markakis at lower prices I guess helps that.

 

Markakis isn’t actually at a lower price, as I understand it.  His option was for $6 mm with a $2 mm buyout.   They declined the option, triggering the $2 mm, and then signed him for $4 mm for next year.   So, Nick still gets the same amount of money as if they’d exercised the option, but $2 mm goes to 2019 payroll instead of 2020’s, which the Braves deemed advantageous for some reason.   

[Just Regular]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

Markakis isn’t actually at a lower price, as I understand it.  His option was for $6 mm with a $2 mm buyout.   They declined the option, triggering the $2 mm, and then signed him for $4 mm for next year.   So, Nick still gets the same amount of money as if they’d exercised the option, but $2 mm goes to 2019 payroll instead of 2020’s, which the Braves deemed advantageous for some reason.   

That sounds right.  To clarify, I didn't mean lower prices in the way the Nationals and Ryan Zimmerman are probably sorting things out about now, rather that ~$5M isn't very much for a palatable first-string player on a good team.  Both moves feel like Donaldson groundwork in the vein of, "We just dominated the division, and are keeping the band together (and lots of 2020 payroll available)."

[Just Regular]

Scanning some of the early 2020 projections including seasonal ages and playing-time guesses, it did catch me a little by surprise that 1st stringers as old as Nick are down to just a handful all around the game.

Only Pujols is 40, only Nelson Cruz is 39.

No one is 38 - the 37's Choo/Cano/Miggy/Yadi have a strong HOF flavor.

Nick's in the 36's with Votto/Braun/Yuli Gurriel - guys whose careers are also a couple ticks better generally.

That's it - even a year younger Justin Turner and Daniel Murphy are the lone 35's.

[Frobby]

3 hours ago, OrioleDog said:

Scanning some of the early 2020 projections including seasonal ages and playing-time guesses, it did catch me a little by surprise that 1st stringers as old as Nick are down to just a handful all around the game.

Only Pujols is 40, only Nelson Cruz is 39.

No one is 38 - the 37's Choo/Cano/Miggy/Yadi have a strong HOF flavor.

Nick's in the 36's with Votto/Braun/Yuli Gurriel - guys whose careers are also a couple ticks better generally.

That's it - even a year younger Justin Turner and Daniel Murphy are the lone 35's.

Now that the steroid era is mostly over, it’s a lot tougher for players to coax their bodies to perform in their mid to late 30’s.     Nick had a old guy’s skill set when he was a young guy, which is why he’s outlasted a lot of peers who were equally or more talented.   

[BRobinsonfan]

7 hours ago, Frobby said:

Now that the steroid era is mostly over, it’s a lot tougher for players to coax their bodies to perform in their mid to late 30’s.     Nick had a old guy’s skill set when he was a young guy, which is why he’s outlasted a lot of peers who were equally or more talented.   

"Old guy skill set?"  You mean he can explain escrow and knows the difference between a Roth and traditional IRA?

 

[Frobby]

With the Braves’ signing of Marcell Ozuna yesterday, it’s very questionable that Nick will get regular playing time this year.   His shot at 2500 hits may be swirling down the drain.   

[DrungoHazewood]

On 12/11/2019 at 4:25 PM, Frobby said:

Now that the steroid era is mostly over, it’s a lot tougher for players to coax their bodies to perform in their mid to late 30’s.     Nick had a old guy’s skill set when he was a young guy, which is why he’s outlasted a lot of peers who were equally or more talented.   

Sorry to dredge up a nearly two-month old comment, but typically young players with old players' skills don't last as long as young players with young players' skills.  Nick has had an odd career path.  

Everything else being equal, you'd rather have a 22-year-old who's fast, doesn't walk a tremendous amount, plays a key defensive position, and is athletic but maybe hasn't fully developed power yet.  That kind of player has a lot of room to grow, and fallback options as their speed and defensive value declines.  Nick was never fast, had a career high in homers at 23, walks at 24, and has been solely a right fielder since almost day one.  Normally you'd expect him to decline defensively and end up as a 1B/DH who doesn't hit nearly enough to be productive at those positions.  

Instead he's been able to stick in RF, and is more-or-less the same quasi-average-ish player at 35 that he was at 25. He did almost all of his progression and decline at 22-25, and has been a RFer with a 100 OPS+ ever since.

[Frobby]

On 10/4/2019 at 9:18 AM, Frobby said:

Nick finished 2019 with 2,355 hits, 136th on the all time list, one behind Carlton Fisk.    Realistic goals for him would be to pass the 2,500 hit mark and get into the top 100 all time (Buddy Bell is currently 100th at 2,514).    I think this may have been his last year as an everyday player, but we’ll see.    As an everyday player those goals would be in reach in 2020 if he stayed healthy.    

Nick's first ht of 2020 was a walk-off homer.     Hes now tied with Carlton Fisk for 135th all time at 2,356 hits    He's now chasing Allan Trammell at 2,365.    Realistically, Nick probably won't get much past 2,400 hits in 2020, if he gets there at all, with the shortened season.   He'd need 45 hits to get there and the Braves have 46 games left to play.