MLB: 5 Most Surprising Torrid Starts in Opening Weeks

The 2012 season is underway and Major League Baseball has already endured its fair share of surprises.

Three weeks is not a big enough sample size to separate contenders from pretenders, but one thing that remains certain is that there are many more questions than answers.

Will the Dodgers keep up their torrid pace?

How do the Blue Jays and Orioles plan to stay on top of the AL East?

Can the Washington Nationals make their first playoff appearance in over 30 years?

The baseball season is a marathon and only time will tell if these hot starts will continue or fizzle out.

Chris Young

Young has always had an insane amount of upside but has struggled to find consistency during his career. 2012 looks like it could be the year when he delivers a complete season. 

He has always hit for power, but a change in his swing has improved Young's contact and limit his strikeouts.

Eleven games into the season, Young is batting .405 with the second best OPS in the league, trailing only Matt Kemp.

If Young can solidify the middle of the order for the Diamondbacks, they could contend for the National League pennant.

Unfortunately, Young suffered a shoulder injury against the Pirates on Tuesday and is scheduled for an MRI. If Young is out for an extended amount of time, Arizona could be in trouble.

Washington Nationals

They have been a perrenial bottom feeder since they were the Montreal Expos, but a combination of quality drafts and shrewd free-agent moves have the Washington Nationals sitting atop the NL East at 9-3.

A chic sleeper pick by experts to surprise this year, the Nationals have been pitching lights out thus far. They have allowed more than four runs only once and Gio Gonzalez looks like one of the best acquisitions of the winter.

Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman and Stephen Strasburg are the backbone of a young and talented rotation that could vault Washington into the thick of the division race.

Derek Jeter

He is almost 40 and surely he shouldn't be playing this well, but Derek Jeter is looking like the Yankees' captain of old in 2012.

Jeter hasn't made an error this year and he's already hit three home runs. A power resurgence would be welcome for the long-time Bronx Bomber seeing as Jeter hasn't hit more than 20 homers since 2004.

The Yankees need a year like this from Jeter if they want to eventually keep pace with the Rays and Red Sox later this season.

Texas Rangers

It seemed like the balance of power in the AL West was headed back to California after the Angels signed C.J. Wilson and Albert Pujols this past winter. 

Not so fast.

The Texas Rangers have been using the first few weeks of the season to send out a reminder that they are still the best team in the division.

After an alcohol relapse in February, Josh Hamilton is back to his MVP ways and has hit five home runs already.

With one of baseball's best lineups and an intimidating rotation top to bottom, the Rangers should still be viewed as World Series contenders. 

Everything About the Dodgers

The Dodgers have won nine of their first 11 games.

Matt Kemp has six home runs, 16 RBI and is getting on base at a gaudy .500 clip.

Dee Gordon is showcasing his speed and looks to be the next great leadoff man in baseball.

Perhaps most important of all, the team was recently been purchased by a local legend who promises to bring them back to prominence.

It's amazing what stable ownership can do for a franchise seeing as the Dodgers have had some very talented pieces in-house for the last couple of seasons. With the front office drama now over, the Dodgers are looking to contend for a playoff spot.