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15 Athletes Who Surprised Us In 2014

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By @Connormuldowney

15 Most Surprising Athletes in 2014

Le'Veon Bell
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The 2014 year was filled with ups and downs in the sports world, but these athletes have destroyed competition, surprising their respective leagues.

Who are the 15 most pleasant surprises of the 2014 calendar year?

Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers

Victor Martinez
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Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers

Victor Martinez
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Victor Martinez has been good for a very, very long time, but no one thought the 36-year-old designated hitter would have the outstanding year that he did have in 2014. Martinez ended up hitting .335 with 32 homers and 103 RBI while being a finalist for AL MVP.

Paul George, Indiana Pacers

Paul George
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Paul George, Indiana Pacers

Paul George
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Paul George wasn't exactly a household name before the 2013-14 season, never averaging more than 17 points per game, but he exploded in 2013-14, averaging over 20 points and becoming a superstar and making the men's national team before breaking his leg in heartbreaking fashion.

Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds

Johnny Cueto
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Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds

Johnny Cueto
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Johnny Cueto had never won more than 20 games or had an ERA under 2.75 with more than 30 starts in a season, but 2014 changed that. The 28-year-old starter proved to be one of the league's best as he posted a 20-9 record with a 2.25 ERA -- and he made it look easy.

Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls

Jimmy Butler
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Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls

Jimmy Butler
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The Chicago Bulls have been fortunate enough to have Jimmy Butler playing his best basketball with Derrick Rose on and off the injury list. Nobody saw this guy being anything more than a role player, averaging eight points or less in his first two years in the league. In 2014-15, Butler has become a star, averaging 22 points, six rebounds and three assists per game.

Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

Kawhi Leonard
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Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

Kawhi Leonard
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The Spurs have a set "Big Three" of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, but they might be giving way to a fourth star: Kawhi Leonard. The fourth-year player emerged in 2013-14, averaging nearly 13 points per game, and has been even more surprising in 2014-15, starting the year with a 15.2-point, 7.6-rebound per game average.

Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals

Jeremy Hill
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Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals

Jeremy Hill
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Giovani Bernard was the big man in charge of the run game for the Bengals and this was supposed to be his year to breakout and show the league just how good he could be. Bernard started the season strong, but then an injury gave way to rookie Jeremy Hill who proved to be just as good -- if not better. Hill surprised everyone, rushing for 1,024 yards and nine touchdowns through 15 games -- with just eight starts.

Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox

Jose Abreu
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Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox

Jose Abreu
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Easy winner of AL Rookie of the Year and earning an AL All-Star bid in his first year, Jose Abreu took MLB by storm. Abreu knocked in 107 RBI while hitting 36 homers with a .317 average. The 27-year-old Cuban-born star has a bright future ahead of him.

Nelson Cruz, Baltimore Orioles

Nelson Cruz
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Nelson Cruz, Baltimore Orioles

Nelson Cruz
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After being caught with performance-enhancing drugs in his system, no one wanted to take a chance on hard-hitting 34-year-old Nelson Cruz. However, the Baltimore Orioles took that chance and didn't regret it as he hit a MLB-best 40 home runs and 108 RBI with a .271 average. No one saw that coming from a guy who just got off suspension.

Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans

Anthony Davis
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Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans

Anthony Davis
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Everyone knew Anthony Davis was going to be pretty solid coming out of college and into the NBA four years ago, but no one thought he would be this good. Davis has risen to superstardom and he might be the best big man in the league now, averaging 24.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game. Before 2013-14 he battled injuries and never averaged more than 13 points per game.

Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts

Andrew Luck
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Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts

Andrew Luck
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Another guy who we expected to be good, but not this good, Andrew Luck has risen rapidly to stardom. Luck surpassed 4,000 yards easily in 2014, accounting for 4,601 yards and 38 touchdowns in the first 15 games of the year -- 15 more touchdowns than he had ever had in any year before.

Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers

Le'Veon Bell
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Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers

Le'Veon Bell
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The second-year running back might be considered a top-three running back in the league and some consider him the best all-around back in the NFL already. Le'Veon Bell has taken the league by storm, rushing for 1,341 yards and eight touchdowns while catching 77 passes for 774 yards and three scores. He is second in the league in all purpose yards with 2,115 and 11 total touchdowns.

Brandon Knight, Milwaukee Bucks

Brandon Knight
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Brandon Knight, Milwaukee Bucks

Brandon Knight
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Remember, this is the guy who was only known for being dunked on viciously by DeAndre Jordan when he was still the point guard for the Pistons. Now, Brandon Knight is known for being one of the best young point guards in the league who knows how to run an offense, posting career-highs of 17.9 points -- and rising -- and 5.4 assists per game. Knight has surprised everyone with how well he has been playing since the trade to the Bucks.

J.T. Barrett, Ohio State Buckeyes

J.T. Barrett
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J.T. Barrett, Ohio State Buckeyes

J.T. Barrett
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Braxton Miller was ruled out for the entire 2014 season and the Ohio State Buckeyes season was over before it had even started, right? Wrong. Freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett surprisingly became one of the best QBs in the nation, passing for 2,834 yards and 34 touchdowns while rushing for another 938 yards and 11 scores. It shocked everyone that he also led the Buckeyes to the Big Ten title game and a playoff berth before getting injured.

DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys

DeMarco Murray
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DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys

DeMarco Murray
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Okay, so it's not very surprising that DeMarco Murray posted his second straight 1,000-yard season and has proven to be a solid NFL running back, but it's surprising that he has become the NFL's best running back. Murray leads the league in rushing yards with over 1,700 and all-purpose yards with 2,140.

Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants

Odell Beckham Jr
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Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants

Odell Beckham Jr.
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Odell Beckham Jr. missed the entire first month of his rookie season, playing his first game on Oct. 5 against Atlanta and he still became one of the best receivers in the league. Beckham Jr. put himself on the map with the catch of the century against the Cowboys, all while racking up 1,120 yards and 11 touchdowns on 79 catches in just 11 games. Just remarkable.

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