10 Surprises to Expect in the Final Weeks of the MLB Season

You never know just what to expect at the ballpark. From a possible resurgence by Miguel Cabrera to a new role for Ryan Zimmerman, there are sure to be plenty of surprises as the final weeks of the MLB season play out. 

Teams that have been in the driver's seat throughout the year are suddenly in danger of missing out on the postseason altogether. Plus, MLB could just end up with a dark-horse home run champion. 

Chris Carter Will Lead All of MLB in Home Runs

At the end of April, Chris Carter was hitting .153 with just three home runs. 

Now, the Houston Astros designated hitter has a legitimate chance to lead all of baseball in homers. Having gone yard 36 times on the season, Carter is tied with Giancarlo Stanton for second but still has to climb past Nelson Cruz (37). Considering that Carter has crushed 23 home runs since the start of July, it's difficult to bet against him. He also has seven multi-home run games, which leads MLB, per Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston. 

Michael Wacha Will Have a Big September Once Again

Last year, Michael Wacha had a dominant September, as the right-hander posted a 1.72 ERA in five starts. It looks like he could be set for another run like that in 2014. 

On September 4, the starter, who had been out since the middle of June with a stress reaction in his right shoulder, returned to the mound and threw three innings while allowing one run. The St. Louis Cardinals had Wacha working on a 50-pitch limit, but he still hit 97 mph on the radar gun and utilized his curveball frequently.

"Curveball had been looking good coming back after the injury, in the bullpens and then in the rehab start [Sunday]," said Wacha, via Stan McNeal of Fox Sports Midwest. "I think it will be a good pitch for me from here on out." 

As he works his way back into form, Wacha will become an X-factor for the Cardinals in September and beyond. 

The San Francisco Giants Will Make Yet Another Late-Season Run

After putting up back-to-back sub-.500 months in June and July, the San Francisco Giants were in serious trouble. 

As it turns out, the NL West club wasn't done just yet. The Giants rebounded in a big way in August, and much of that was thanks to the offense waking back up.

Credit also has to go general manager Brian Sabean, who has an unbelievable knack for pulling off low-profile yet highly successful midseason moves. This year's key acquisition was Jake Peavy. Since arriving at AT&T Park, the right-hander has posted a 2.36 ERA in eight outings.

Ryan Zimmerman Will Return to the Washington Nationals as a Super-Sub

The Washington Nationals are aiming to have Ryan Zimmerman back in the fold by mid to late September, as Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post reports. The star is likely to return in an unfamiliar role. 

"It's going to be mix and match," explained manager Matt Williams to Kilgore.

As Williams sees it, Zimmerman will get time at three different spots. 

"There’s no real set plan where he’s going to play third every day or he’s going to play left every day, or he’s going to play first every day. He’s probably going to play all of them.”

The Nats' ability to utilize Zimmerman, who is sporting an .802 OPS, in a utility role underscores just how talented the NL East front-runners are. 

The Blocking-the-Plate Rule Will Cause a Major Controversy

Everybody wants to protect catchers. However, as Bleacher Report's Scott Miller explains, everybody also thinks that the current blocking-the-plate rule is ridiculous. 

"There is near-100 percent unanimity among those in uniform that the rule stinks. And there is near-100 percent certainty that the rule will be changed."

Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that the rule will be changed imminently. Between now and the end of the season there could easily be a controversial play at the plate that costs a team a run and impacts the playoff race. 

Miguel Cabrera Will Rebound as the Detroit Tigers Pass the Kansas City Royals

Miguel Cabrera had a forgettable August. 

The nine-time All-Star slumped through a 27-game homer-less streak, which was a career worst, per ESPN Stats and Info. So far, September has worked out significantly better for the 31-year-old. In the opening week of the month, Cabrera has already produced a pair of two-home run games. 

Cabrera having a big final few weeks of the season is exactly the spark that the Detroit Tigers need as the club looks to overtake the Kansas City Royals in the American League Central. 

The Milwaukee Brewers Will Miss out on the Playoffs

The Milwaukee Brewers owned at least a share of first place in the NL Central for 150 days before the St. Louis Cardinals passed them up on September 1, as Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes.

That run came to a crashing halt courtesy of a disastrous three-stop road trip that the Brewers stumbled through at the end of August. However, the real trouble started much before that. After an electric start to the season, manager Ron Roenicke's squad posted losing months in both July and August.

What could doom the Brewers is the loss of Carlos Gomez. As Haudricourt explains, there's still no time frame for when the NL All-Star will return from a sprained left wrist. 

Buck Showalter Will Win the AL Manager of the Year Award

David Banks/Getty Images

Entering the season, it was easy enough to overlook the Baltimore Orioles. With the reigning World Series champion Boston Red Sox, the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees seemingly all in the picture for the AL East title, the O's were facing an uphill battle.

Instead, the Orioles aren't just the best team in the division, but one of the top teams in baseball. Headlined by Nelson Cruz, the offense has been downright dangerous. The unheralded rotation has only become better as the season has gone on. 

Plus, respect has to be given to manager Buck Showalter, who has been pressing all the right buttons. According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, Showalter is a lock to scoop up the AL Manager of the Year Award. 

Masahiro Tanaka Won't Pitch in Another Big League Game in 2014

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Masahiro Tanaka is slowly working his way back from a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The latest step for the Japanese right-hander was a 34-pitch bullpen on Saturday in the Bronx, as Brendan Kuty of NJ.com reports. 

Manager Joe Girardi told Kuty that the session "went well," but it's still unclear just when and in what type of situation Tanaka will be throwing again. Girardi and Tanaka both want the starter to see big league action before the end of the season, but the clock is ticking. It appears much more likely that the next time that Tanaka will take the mound in a game situation will be the Arizona Fall League, as Kuty suggests. 

Yasiel Puig Will Bounce Back to Help the Los Angeles Dodgers Lock Up the NL West

Yasiel Puig has been in a funk. 

The outfielder hit just .216 in August with zero home runs. Now that Joc Pederson has joined the big league team, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly plans to give Puig more rest, as he explained via Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times. 

“Hopefully, it’s a situation where we can kind of give him his days here and his days there. We know in Cuba they don’t play that many games, so we’d seen last year late in the year he struggled."

Considering the 23-year-old's relentless style of play, a couple of days off in September could be exactly what he needs to get back on track. Puig returning to form would substantially improve the club's chances of maintaining its edge over the San Francisco Giants in the NL West. 

Note: All stats and videos courtesy of MLB.com.

If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.