The 2024 MLB season is just two weeks old and teams are already starting to separate themselves.

Of course, there are many surprises as well.

Each year, new teams and players emerge and contend when many might not expect. Or contenders take a step back. That is the beauty of a game that is played every night.

Below, take a look at some of the biggest surprises of the start of the baseball season.

Kansas City Royals/Pittsburgh Pirates

Both the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates did not expect much coming into the season. Early on, they have both impressed and it will be interesting to see how long it lasts.

The Royals began the season 9-4 before losing two out of three to the New York Mets. Kansas City continues to impress early on with pitching that has outperformed expectations. Bobby Witt Jr. has shown the ability to lead the offense off the heels of an 11-year contract extension.

The Pirates have not slowed down since Opening Day. Early in the season, Pittsburgh has opened 11-5. The Pirates came into the season looking for young players to continue to improve and a strong bullpen. Both have happened early on. And Paul Skenes is still not here yet, which makes for even more excitement coming in Pittsburgh.

Francisco Lindor

Francisco Lindor is no stranger to slow starts but this one is becoming a bit extended.

Lindor has played in all 15 games for the Mets this season, which is the norm for the All-Star shortstop. So far, he has gone 8-for-62 (.129) with just two RBI and six runs scored. Lindor has walked seven times. If there is any positive, it is that he has just seven strikeouts, which equates to one every two games.

Lindor had two hits on Sunday against the Royals and has had a hit in four out of five games. The average for Lindor continues to be on the interstate and he has just one home run.

Lindor has started slow during the entirety of his career, and certainly his tenure with the Mets. What we have seen is his ability to snap out of it and put up big numbers by the end of the season.

Houston Astros

The Houston Astros might be the biggest surprise of the year. It began with a four-game sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees. That could be chalked up to a slow start but is has continued.

The Astros are currently 6-11 through 17 games this season. Justin Verlander remains on the shelf. Houston has the second-highest ERA in the league to this point at 5.32. That has been the major issue.

Jose Altuve has hit this season. Jeremy Pena and Yordan Alvarez are also off to quick starts. Houston is currently second in the league in team batting average at .277 and tied for fourth in home runs. The offense has bee doing its job. The pitching has not yet this season.

Tyler O’Neill

Did anyone expect Tyler O’Neill to lead the league in home runs? It might just be two weeks into the season but there was not a thought that he would be the leader at any point this season.

The Boston Red Sox are currently 9-7 in an AL East where all five teams are .500 or better. One major reason has been the play of O’Neill.

O’Neill currently has the highest OPS in baseball at 1.209. He has seven home runs and miraculously enough, just eight RBI. For reference, Marcell Ozuna of the Atlanta Braves is tied with O’Neill with seven home runs and has 21 RBI.

O’Neill has led the upstart Red Sox early in the year. We don’t know how long this will last but two weeks in, Boston continues to be an exciting watch. This is because of the best pitching staff in the league early on and the power of O’Neill.