Biggest Surprises and Disappointments of the 2014 MLB Season

You never know just what to expect at the ballpark. 

From breakout stars like Josh Harrison and Corey Kluber to the failed gamble of Billy Beane, that was definitely the case during the 2014 MLB season. For Jose Abreu, the year went surprisingly well. Meanwhile, for the Milwaukee Brewers, 2014 was a serious disappointment. 

Surprise: The 2nd-Half Resurgence of Matt Kemp

After stumbling through the first half of the season, Matt Kemp took off following the All-Star break. 

Kemp crushed 17 home runs while hitting .309 with a .606 slugging percentage and a .971 OPS in 64 games after the Midsummer Classic. As the 30-year-old explained, via Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles, he's planning to carry that high level of play into October. 

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I’m just trying to finish up strong and help my team in any way I can to lead us into the postseason and further into the postseason than we went last season. I’ll do whatever it takes to help them out and see how far this takes us.

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What makes Kemp's turnaround particularly surprising is that he appeared to have one foot out the door in the summer. Back in July, Kemp's then-agent, Dave Stewart, told Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, "Sometimes change is good." 

As it turns out, that change was Kemp returning to his All-Star form. 

Disappointment: The Free-Fall of the Atlanta Braves

Dave Tulis/Associated Press

The Atlanta Braves fell off the map in the second half of the season. 

After sharing the lead in the National League East with the Washington Nationals at the All-Star break, the club lost a remarkable 17 games in the standings in the second half of the season to end up tied with the New York Mets for second place in the division. 

The top priority for interim general manager John Hart and the rest of the Braves brain trust will be to revamp the offense, which scored the second-fewest runs in baseball in 2014. Even if the team can pull that off, it won't be easy to keep pace in the NL East next season. 

With their stable of aces, the Nationals are only getting better. Plus, the Mets and the Miami Marlins are both on the rise. 

Surprise: Corey Kluber Entering the Mix for the American League Cy Young Award

Corey Kluber came out of left field in 2014 to produce one of the most dominant seasons for a starting pitcher in the AL. 

The 28-year-old, who posted an uninspiring 4.14 ERA in April, went on to finish the season with an 18-9 record and a 2.44 ERA. Kluber also racked up 269 strikeouts, which was the second-most in baseball. In September, the right-hander reeled off consecutive starts in which he recorded 14 punchouts. 

Even with those incredible numbers, it's still going to be a challenge for Kluber to beat out Felix Hernandez for the AL Cy Young Award. 

Disappointment: New York Yankees Miss Playoffs After Spending Almost 500 Million

Al Bello/Getty Images

Last offseason, the New York Yankees dished out $486 million in contracts to the likes of Masahiro Tanaka, Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann and Jacoby Ellsbury, among others, according to Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News. 

Despite that monstrous spending spree, the team missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Injuries—especially to the starting rotation—certainly played a central part in New York's struggles. Still, health problems weren't the only issue. 

In a clubhouse meeting before the final home game of the season, manager Joe Girardi questioned whether some players had been "hungry" enough, per Wallace Matthews and Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York. 

It's difficult not to wonder what would have happened if Derek Jeter had been given one more crack at the playoffs. It's likely that the shortstop would have done what he always does and stepped up when it matters the most. 

Surprise: Josh Harrison Playing His Way into the NL MVP Award Discussion

At the beginning of the 2014 season, there's no way that Josh Harrison and the phrase "NL MVP" would have been mentioned in the same sentence. However, after a breakout year, the utility man-turned-NL All-Star is a lock to finish in the ballot's top 10.

Harrison helped the club all over the diamond, as the Pittsburgh Pirates earned the No. 1 wild-card spot in the NL. The 27-year-old racked up 38 doubles, posted the second-highest average (.315) in the league and stole 18 bases. The versatile Harrison also has an excellent glove, as you can see in the MLB.com video above. 

Disappointment: The Epic Collapse of the Milwaukee Brewers

Morry Gash/Associated Press

Playing in the loaded NL Central, the Milwaukee Brewers were something of an afterthought entering the season. 

Then the Brewers stormed out of the gate and built up a lead in the division, which at one point reached 6.5 games. Unfortunately for manager Ron Roenicke's squad, it all fell apart in the second half of the season. The Brewers began to slide in July and then posted a 9-17 record in September. 

After holding a share of first place in the NL Central for at least 150 days, the club didn't even earn a wild-card spot. That makes Milwaukee just the fourth team since 1995 to endure such an epic collapse, according to ESPN Stats and Info. 

Surprise: Jose Abreu Immediately Becoming One of the Most Dangerous Hitters

Back in Cuba, Jose Abreu posted some video game numbers. During the 2011-12 Serie Nacional season, the right-handed batter hit .394/.542/.837 with 35 home runs in 71 games, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America.

Even with that unreal track record, it's still incredible just how quickly Abreu not only transitioned to MLB, but also became one of the most dangerous hitters in the big leagues. 

Abreu, who is all but guaranteed to win the AL Rookie of the Year award, clubbed 35 doubles and 36 home runs. He also hit .317 with a .964 OPS and a .581 slugging percentage, which was the best in baseball. 

Disappointment: Billy Beane's Big-Time Game Didn't Pay off

Leon Halip/Getty Images

Billy Beane went all-in at the deadline. 

On July 31, the Oakland Athletics GM sent Yoenis Cespedes to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Jon Lester and Jonny Gomes. From August 1 to the end of the season, the team went just 22-33 before crashing out of the playoffs in the AL Wild Card Game. 

A slew of injuries also contributed to the face plant, but in retrospect, the record indicates that the team would have been better off holding on to its Cuban left fielder. 

For his part, Beane doesn't regret the blockbuster, as he explained via John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle: "Simply put, if we don't have Jon Lester, I don't think we make the playoffs."

There's no way to disprove Beane's claim. However, during his time with the club, Oakland had a .635 winning percentage (228-131) with Cespedes in the lineup and a .389 mark (28-44) when he wasn't, per Alex Espinoza IV of MLB.com. 

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

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