Last year he went last, this year he goes first. In an offseason centered on rebuilding, here's our keeper. He's not just the future of Baltimore baseball, he's the present. Nick Markakis is as "Face of the Franchise" as it gets right now.
Last Three Years:
AB AVG OBP SLG 2B HR RBI SB BB/K
2005 Frederick (A+) 350 .300 .379 .480 25 12 62 2 43/65
Bowie (AA) 124 .339 .420 .573 16 3 30 0 18/30
2006 Baltimore 491 .291 .351 .448 25 16 62 2 43/72
2007 Baltimore 637 .300 .362 .485 43 23 112 18 61/112
The spike in stolen bases last year is consistent with his days as a 19- and 20-year old in the boondocks, when he was swiping a few bags here and there.
So here's the real question you're going to opine upon with your projection: Is Nick Markakis going to be a superstar, or stay at, you know, really good rather than outstandingly great?
Bonus Question: Does Nick solely represent the O's at the 2008 All-Star game? Keep in mind positional considerations, too. There are a lot of outfielders in the AL.
The line I need from you: AB, AVG/OBP/SLG, 2B, HR, RBI, SB, BB/K
Let's get to it!