Hall of Fame
The Glen Cove, New York, native was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 2001, but chose to play baseball at YHC instead—a choice he made again after his freshman year.
He excelled both as a hitter and pitcher at YHC. During two seasons, Markakis had
a combined .442 batting average and held the single-season home run record with 21.
The left-handed pitcher stole 19 bases in 20 attempts and had an on-base percentage
of .536 with 38 home runs and 166 RBI. He had a 23-3 pitching record with 258
strikeouts in two seasons.
He was named a First Team All-American, National Junior College Athletic Association National Player of the Year twice and Georgia Junior College Player of the Year twice. He helped his team win one regional and two conference championships.
Markakis was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2003 and earned a spot on the team’s big-league roster in 2006, where he has remained to this day. He received the Golden Glove Award and YHC’s Young Alumni Achievement Award in 2011.
He and his wife, Christina, established the Right Side Foundation in 2009 to help
distressed children in the state of Maryland.
