Cardinals News: 7 notable players who were drafted 7th overall

Nick Markakis

Nick Markakis was actually drafted three separate times in three consecutive years. He was first chosen in the 35th round of the 2001 draft by the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds tried again to persuade the left-handed outfielder to join them when they chose him in the 23rd round of the 2002 draft. However, Markakis eventually was drafted seventh overall in 2003 by the Baltimore Orioles, and he elected to join the organization.

Markakis was both a pitcher and a fielder at Young Harris College. Throughout his two seasons, Markakis was able to hold a .442 batting average; he also hit a single-season home run record of 21 home runs. On the pitching side of the game, Markakis finished with a 23-3 record and 258 strikeouts across two seasons.

After being drafted seventh overall in 2003, Markakis took 3 years to rise to the majors, and he made his MLB debut on April 3, 2006, also against Tampa Bay. Nick was primarily known for his defense, though he was able to finish his 15-year career with a .781 OPS. He won 3 Gold Gloves, and he was even a Silver Slugger in 2018 with the Atlanta Braves. Markakis had only one All-Star appearance during his career.

Nick Markakis's career is evidence that a player can still be very good for a team even without the accolades of his peers on this list. He provided solid offensive output while being a plus defender throughout his career in right field. He would finish his career with 33.6 bWAR, and a slash line of .288/.357/.423 for an OPS+ of 109.