2012 MLB Predictions: Hot Starts That Will Keep Rolling

We always see some big numbers put up in the early portion of the season, but it seems like there are more gaudy numbers than usual this season.

Here's a spoiler: These numbers will level out in the coming months. There are a handful of players batting over .400 at the moment, but none of them are going to keep it up all season. For that matter, there is no way any of the pitchers currently carrying ERAs of 0.00 will be able to keep it up.

That being said, we can safely expect that several of the star players who have gotten off to hot starts will be able to keep it up. Miguel Cabrera and Matt Kemp are going to have great seasons, and so is Roy Halladay.

The bigger question is, which of the surprise hot starters are going to stay hot all season? Read on to find out.

Chad Billingsley, Los Angeles Dodgers

Through two starts, Chad Billingsley is 2-0 with an 0.63 ERA and an 0.63 WHIP. Evidently, he had his DNA replaced with Justin Verlander's over the offseason.

Actually, it's a little more simple than that. In two starts, Billingsley has walked just one hitter, and he's been very economical with his pitches. He's only throwing 12.9 pitches per inning.

That's what improved control will do for you. And if you are familiar with Billingsley, you know that control was a problem for him in the first few seasons of his career. Even when he was pitching well, he had a tendency to make life hard for himself by walking guys and running up his pitch count.

Billingsley isn't doing that this year. The fact that he's faced the Padres and the Pirates has contributed to his early success, but he's pitched like a new man. If he keeps it up, he will have his best season to date. 

Aroldis Chapman, Cincinnati Reds

Aroldis Chapman has only pitched six innings this season, but those six innings have been dominant. He hasn't allowed an earned run and has struck out 11 batters while giving up just two hits and no walks.

The most important takeaway is the "no walks" part. We're talking about a guy who had a BB/9 over 7.00 last season, so it suffices to say he's shown some improvement in that department so far this season.

Before you ask, Chapman's velocity is down. Per FanGraphs, an average Chapman fastball is coming in right around 97 miles per hour, which is down from 99.6 miles per hour in 2010. 

His dip on the radar gun is not a concern, however, as Chapman is getting hitters out by locating his fastball and effectively mixing in his slider and his changeup. He's not throwing—he's pitching. 

Here's hoping the Reds pull the plug on Homer Bailey so Chapman can start.

David Freese, St. Louis Cardinals

David Freese showed how good he could be in the postseason last year, as he hit .397 with five home runs and 21 RBI in 18 games.

Freese has picked up right where he left off, hitting .406 with three homers and 11 RBI.

Across the country, baseball fans are asking the following question: "Is this for real?"

Yes, it is. What we're seeing from Freese isn't an unprecedented hot streak that dates back to the 2011 postseason. What we're seeing is a good hitter hitting well. 

Talent has never been Freese's problem. He hit .296 in 2010 and .297 in 2011, with good power numbers in both seasons. The only problem is that injuries held him to a total of 167 games in those two seasons.

Obviously, Freese is not going to be able to maintain a .400 average, especially not while his walk rate is at three percent and his K rate is at 24.2 percent. But a season with a .300 average, 30 homers and 100-plus RBI is definitely in the cards as long as he stays healthy.

Omar Infante, Miami Marlins

Omar Infante is hitting .367 with three home runs in the early goings. He boosted his power numbers by hitting two home runs in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies earlier this week.

His power numbers won't last. They're nice, but Infante is not a power hitter.

His high average, however, has staying power. 

Infante is hitting a lot like he did in 2010 when he was with the Atlanta Braves. He hit .321 that year despite the fact he had a very low walk rate. He also enjoyed an inflated .355 BABIP.

This year, Infante's walk rate is low again, but his strikeout rate is too. He's putting the bat on the ball. The odd part is that his BABIP is .308, up from .235 prior to Friday's game vs. Houston. It's that low in part because of his home runs (they are not in play, remember), but bad luck also has something to do with it.

His power pace will decline, but the hits will start falling for Infante, helping him sustain a .300 batting average.

Austin Jackson, Detroit Tigers

What's gotten into Austin Jackson? He's hitting .385 with a .500 on-base percentage.

It's simple, really. For the first time in his career, Jackson is being patient.

Jackson's walk rate is already double what it was last season while his K rate of 25 percent is right in line with his 2011 rate of 27.1 percent. Most importantly, he's seeing 4.46 pitches per plate appearance.

Jackson showed in both 2010 and 2011 that he's capable of maintaining a curiously high BABIP, but his average suffered because he struck out too much and he wouldn't take his walks. If he continues to take his talks and keep his strikeouts down, it stands to reason he'll have little trouble maintaining a high batting average.

A patient leadoff hitter with speed and a live bat. That's just what the Tigers need.