These 10 hitters are off to scorching starts

We are eight days into the 2023 season. That is, without question, far too early to make any predictions based on what we've seen.

But while it's too early for predictions, it's the perfect time for optimism. Because while no qualified hitter across baseball will be sporting a .500 batting average when all is said and done, red-hot starts can do a lot to change the narrative around a player or team.

With that, here are 10 players who have gotten off to a hot start in 2023, and -- not to put too fine a point on it -- why you should care.

All stats through Friday, April 7.

Adam Duvall, Red Sox
.458/.536/1.042, 1.578 OPS, 3 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 12 RBIs
A week into the season, you may already be tired of hearing about Duvall’s hot start. 2023’s first American League Player of the Week has made settling in with the Red Sox look easy -- his second game in Boston had him a single shy of the cycle (he hit a walk-off home run instead.) And while no one expects him to be hitting .450 in August, he, along with Alex Verdugo, has already provided some assurances that there is life after Xander Bogaerts for the Red Sox.

Gleyber Torres, Yankees
.409/.552/.727, 2B, 2 HR, 5 SB
Thus far this season, Torres’ average sprint speed ranks in the 30th percentile. He is also, at present, tied for the Major League lead in stolen bases alongside certified burners Jorge Mateo and Myles Straw. He almost certainly won’t be there for long. But considering how much better the Yankees are when he’s rolling, this confident, more dynamic version of Torres – one of MLB’s top prospects not so long ago – could have New York keeping him off the trading block and once again considering him its second baseman of the future.

Wander Franco, Rays
.379/.438/.793, 3 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBIs
It feels a bit unfair to ask whether this could be the year Franco “finally” breaks out. He’s still only 22 years old, for one, and he’s performed extremely well thus far at the Major League level, hitting .282/.337/.439 with an OPS+ of 122 in 153 games from 2021-22. Only a series of relatively minor injuries have kept him off the field since his debut. But we’ve been waiting anxiously to see this guy take over since 2020, when he became MLB’s near-undisputed top prospect, and he seems well on his way to realizing that potential in full.

Yoán Moncada, White Sox
.400/.419/.733, 4 2B, 2 HR
In Moncada’s career, his offensive output has alternated between great and not-so-memorable, with his downturns often tied to injury issues. In 2022, he set a career-low OPS (.626, min. 50 games), so it would seem he’s due for a rebound -- and if his red-hot start to the season is to be believed, he’s well on his way. The White Sox would surely be grateful for that, too, especially given the unexpected 7.70 ERA their pitching staff is sporting through seven games.

Taylor Ward, Angels
.333/.394/.567, 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBIs
We have, admittedly, given the Angels a hard time over not putting a strong supporting cast around Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. But if you take a look at the progression of their 2022 season, the Angels hit the skids in mid-May, well before Trout hit the injured list, coinciding more closely with Ward cooling off after his hot start. That’s not to say the team lives and dies by Ward -- Ohtani and Trout are still the best players in baseball -- but his ability to bridge the gap between the superstars and replacement players on that team means a lot to the Angels, who appear to have a roster built to compete for the first time in a while.

Orlando Arcia, Braves
.323/.364/.581, 2 2B, 2 HR
Arcia broke camp with the Braves in a surprising decision that involved the demotion of the immensely talented Vaughn Grissom, who hit .291 with five homers and 18 RBIs in 41 games last season. Just a week into the season, it would appear the Braves were on to something when they elected not to give up on Arcia, who broke into the Majors as a 21-year-old and has since had some trouble sticking -- after all, he’d hardly be the first player to “find it” at 28.

Brian Anderson, Brewers
.500/.593/1.000, 1.593 OPS, 3 HR, 10 RBIs
Anderson’s career got off to a great start in Miami before injuries derailed his progress in 2021 and ‘22, and when he hit free agency this past winter, it wasn’t until the end of January that he found a new home with the Brewers. Now it looks like a few GMs may regret having overlooked him, as he leads baseball in average, slugging percentage and OPS in the early going.

Nolan Gorman, Cardinals
.350/.480/.700, 1.180 OPS, 2 HR, 6 RBIs
As you’ve probably already gathered, baseball isn’t always kind to players who take time to settle in at the Major League level. Gorman, a remarkable power hitter even as an amateur, was the Cardinals’ No. 3 prospect when he broke into the Majors. Then he had a lackluster 2022 season and largely fell off the map as Brendan Donovan played well enough to take second base out from under him. So far this season, though, Gorman’s been DHing, and while there isn’t room in the Cardinals’ lineup for another anchor, he’s certainly keeping pace with the players St. Louis can’t live without.

Bryan Reynolds, Pirates
.448/.469/1.103, 1.572 OPS, 5 HR, 13 RBIs
That Reynolds remains in Pittsburgh in 2023 seems a minor miracle, but it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise. While he performed well in 2022 -- few would complain about having a center fielder hitting .262 with 27 home runs -- his rate stats just didn't stand up to their 2021 equivalents. But the Pirates' demands for a return for Reynolds didn't seem to shift at all, making a potential deal prohibitive to any of their potential trade partners. This year, Reynolds has gotten off to an almost comically hot start, leading baseball with five home runs through his first seven games. So it begs the question: might this be the year the Pirates get their long-awaited prospect package?

James Outman, Dodgers
.350/.519/.850, 1.369 OPS, 2 3B, 2 HR
You may have known of Outman before he started tearing it up. But he drew less attention than some prospects do -- the Dodgers have had a lot going on at the Major League level -- so there’s a chance that as far as you’re concerned, he’s just the latest in a series of outstanding players the Dodgers have apparently conjured out of thin air. But that’s important, and not just for his team’s reputation in the field of player development. For the first time in a long time, the Dodgers aren’t clear NL West favorites, but if Outman is as much of a powerhouse long-term as he’s looked early on, the race between Los Angeles and San Diego gets even more interesting.