The 2014 baseball season saw an interesting dichotomy between the old guard and the new contenders. In the American League, the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox had an unbelievable collapse, finishing 20 games below .500 in last place. Meanwhile, teams like the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals flew to the top. In the National League, the Washington Nationals returned to the top of their division while teams like the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks struggled. (Also, the Colorado Rockies finished 30 games below .500 despite, in many respects, having the league’s best offense.)
2014 MVP Race Re-examined
The 2014 MVP race was a considered effort that saw Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout finally rise to the occasion and grab the award in the AL. The NL was all about pitching, as three hurlers took the league’s entire WAR podium. Out of all of them, Clayton Kershaw pushed his way forward and had one of the greatest pitching seasons in baseball history. Not only that, but he etched his name into that ever-exclusive list of pitchers to win the MVP and Cy Young Awards in the same season. So, these are two very obviously worthy champions. The question of whether or not they were the right ones still remains. Let’s answer that now.
American League
Unlike the National League, pitchers did not make up the entirety of the AL’s top three WAR marks in 2014. However, much like their older counterpart, they did have a pitcher take the top spot. The Cleveland Indians Corey Kluber took home an 8.1 WAR mark and the league’s Cy Young honors. He was joined in the top three by the aforementioned Trout (7.7) and his teammate Michael Brantley (7.0). These three beat out men like Josh Donaldson, Adrian Beltre, and Jose Bautista to garner the slots and, thus, a part in this re-examination.
Michael Brantley
Michael Brantley had spent the better part of five seasons trying to establish himself as a credible big-league ball player. He’d had some middling success, but 2014 was his absolute breakout season. A slash line of .327/.385/.506 was bolstered by career highs in homers (20), doubles (45), and his first (and, to date, only) 200-hit campaign. He made his first All-Star appearance and won his singular Silver Slugger award. Finally, he finished third in MVP voting, thus making him a genuine contender in the 2014 MVP Race.
Mike Trout
For Trout, 2014 was a year of realization as he finally broke through to win his first of three MVP Awards. The choice was not without its merits, either. Trout led the league in runs scored for the third straight year and won his first RBI title. His production was second to none, but he also had power to boot. He launched 36 homers to go along with 39 doubles. His slash line wasn’t bad either, though he would go on to post improved totals in the years to come. Topping this mountain of MVP candidacy was a league-leading 338 total bases.
Corey Kluber
The only hurler to hold MVP candidacy in the AL in 2014, Kluber posted a truly magnificent season. He led the league with 18 wins, pitching to a 2.44 ERA with 269 strikeouts. His 2.35 FIP was also tops in the league. If not the out-and-out MVP, Kluber was certainly one of the most significantly improved players in all of baseball. His win total jumped by seven and his ERA fell by a full point and a half. He started 34 games and only gave up 14 homers in over 235 innings pitched. Finally, his ERA+ went from an average 99 in 2013 to 160 in 2014. He was certainly worthy of his Cy Young Award. The MVP is a different story.
The MVP should be…
Mike Trout won the AL’s 2014 MVP race simply because he did everything right. He’d been doing that for the entirety of his young big-league career. However, someone had always done something that just barely edged him out. This season, Trout was left alone at the top of the Junior Circuit’s mountain. His climb was well documented and he was already one of the most popular and beloved players in the game. His MVP Award only elevated his status and vaulted him further into the conversation of the greatest of all time.
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National League
As previously mentioned, the National League had three hurlers take home the top spots in terms of WAR. So, their 2014 MVP race would be won by whoever was the best pitcher. All three have legitimate cases. The aforementioned Kershaw, Cole Hamels, and Johnny Cueto found their way either at or near the top of multiple statistical categories. Now, we will see if Kershaw truly deserved what was bestowed upon him.
Johnny Cueto
The Cincinnati Reds had already experienced Johnny Cueto at his finest. Just two years before, he’d won 19 games and finished fourth in Cy Young voting. However, in 2014, Cueto was simply on another level. He posted his first 20-win season with a 2.25 ERA and a league-leading 242 strikeouts. His WHIP numbers were excellent and he only allowed 61 earned runs in over 243 innings pitched. He also only walked 65 batters, good for a walk percentage of 6.8%. Though his first half was marginally better, he was definitely good enough to warrant a spot in the NL’s 2014 MVP race.
Cole Hamels
Finishing second in the WAR metrics was this Phillies Southpaw. A veteran of eight big league seasons, Hamels proved that he had a lot left to give in 2014. His record of 9-9 may not have been flashy. However, a 2.46 ERA, 198 strikeouts, and a 1.148 WHIP press him further along in the conversation. Though he didn’t make the All-Star team, Hamels did possess the consistency and wherewithal to overcome an incredibly slow start and vault himself into the 2014 MVP race.
Clayton Kershaw
Kershaw is considered a future Hall of Famer for a number of reasons, ranging from his 200+ career wins to his 2,900+ strikeouts. However, his 2014 campaign was, to date, probably his most brilliant. The Los Angeles Dodgers legend tied a career-high with 21 wins and took home his fourth consecutive ERA title with a sparkling 1.77 mark. He hurled six complete games, two of which were shutouts, and struck out 239 batters in only 198 1/3 innings pitched. His ERA+ (197), FIP (1.81), WHIP (0.857), and K/9 (10.8) all paced the league. Topping this hill of dominance was a no-hitter on June 18, complete with 15 strikeouts. In conclusion, Kershaw’s MVP and Cy Young considerations were definitely earned.
The MVP should be…
This shouldn’t even be a question. Clayton Kershaw presented one of the best seasons by any pitcher in big league history. It was the most complete out of the three candidates and he led the league in the most categories. When it came to the National League’s 2014 MVP race, Kershaw was simply untouchable. In a way, both Trout and Kershaw shared the breakage of barriers. Though Kershaw had experienced a Cy Young before, he’d never once garnered the league’s top prize for any player. In 2014, that changed, and it would be clinically insane to remove that from history.
Photo Credit: © Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Players Mentioned:
Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw, Corey Kluber, Michael Brantley, Josh Donaldson, Adrian Beltre, Jose Bautista, Cole Hamels, Johnny Cueto
