Diamond Futures’ Retrospective: Our 2003 Top 100

Mark Texiera was the clear choice for the top spot in 2003

A number of you have inquired recently as to where you can find our previous Top Prospect Lists. In response, we have begun to post our previous lists and will get through all of them before the season starts.

Next up, we take a look at our Top 100 list from 2003. 2003 was actually a great year for prospect picking, as 25 of our top 30 players went on to have at least reasonably significant Major League careers. But that doesn’t mean we didn’t have our missteps, as we, along with many fanned on Jesse Foppert - #5; Hee Choi - #20; Jerome Williams - #24; Wilson Betemit - #30; Jason Stokes - #31; Joe Borchard - #32 and Scott Hairston - #41. Additionally we were kind of out there on a branch all alone with Chris Snelling - #9; Andy Marte - #33; Felix Pie - #37; Todd Linden - #50. I can’t imagine how much better our early prospect lists might have been if we hadn’t been such big believers in Chris Snelling.

But the successes were plentiful, as we shared positive views with many on players like: Mark Texiera - #1; Hideki Matsui - #2; Jose Reyes - #3; Jose Contreras - #4; Joe Mauer - #5; Brandon Phillips - #8; Justin Morneau - #10; Adrian Gonzalez - #12; Victor Martinez - #13; Miguel Cabrera - #14; Francisco Rodriguez - #15; Hanley Ramirez - #21; James Loney - #22; Scott Kazmir - #26; Adam Wainwright - #28 and B.J. Upton - #38. Additionally we found ourselves ahead of the pack on players like: Grady Sizemore - #11; Rich Harden - #17; Prince Fielder - #27; Jeff Francoeur - #29; Johan (Ervin) Santana - #46; Francisco Liriano - #52; David DeJesus - #63; John Maine - #69 and Kevin Youkilis - #88.



Diamond Futures 2003 Top 100

1 ) Teixeira , Mark , TEX , 3B
2 ) Matsui , Hideki , NYY , OF
3 ) Reyes , Jose , NYM , SS
4 ) Contreras , Jose , NYY , R
5 ) Foppert , Jesse , SF , R
6 ) Kotchman , Casey , ANA , 1B
7 ) Mauer , Joe , MIN , C
8 ) Phillips , Brandon , CLE , SS
9 ) Snelling , Chris , SEA , OF
10 ) Morneau , Justin , MIN , 1B
11 ) Sizemore , Grady , CLE , OF
12 ) Gonzalez , Adrian , FLA , 1B
13 ) Martinez , Victor , CLE , C
14 ) Cabrera , Miguel , FLA , 3B
15 ) Rodriguez , Frank , ANA , R
16 ) Cuddyer , Michael , MIN , OF
17 ) Harden , Rich , OAK , R
18 ) Baldelli , Rocco , TB , OF
19 ) Cust , Jack , COL , OF
20 ) Choi , HeeSeop , CHN , 1B
21 ) Ramirez , Hanley , BOS , SS
22 ) Loney , James , LA , 1B
23 ) Soriano , Rafael , SEA , R
24 ) Williams , Jerome , SF , R
25 ) Hart , Corey (Jon) , MIL , 3B
26 ) Kazmir , Scott , NYM , L
27 ) Fielder , Prince , MIL , 1B
28 ) Wainwright , Adam , ATL , R
29 ) Francoeur , Jeff , ATL , OF
30 ) Betemit , Wilson , ATL , SS
31 ) Stokes , Jason , FLA , 1B
32 ) Borchard , Joe , CHA , OF
33 ) Marte , Andy , ATL , 3B
34 ) Hamilton , Josh , TB , OF
35 ) Choo , Shin-soo , SEA , OF
36 ) Figueroa , Jonathan , LA , L
37 ) Pie , Felix , CHN , OF
38 ) Upton , B.J. , TB , SS
39 ) Ainsworth , Kurt , SF , R
40 ) Ludwick , Ryan , TEX , OF
41 ) Hairston , Scott , ARI , 2B
42 ) Floyd , Gavin , PHI , R
43 ) Bonderman , Jeremy , DET , R
44 ) Lopez , Jose , SEA , SS
45 ) Infante , Omar , DET , SS
46 ) Santana , Johan , ANA , R
47 ) Johnson , Kelly , ATL , SS
48 ) Wright , David , NYM , 3B
49 ) Lee , Cliff , CLE , L
50 ) Linden , Todd , SF , OF
51 ) Gomes , Jonny , TB , OF
52 ) Liriano , Francisco , SF , L
53 ) Huber , Justin , NYM , C
54 ) Utley , Chase , PHI , 2B
55 ) Gobble , Jimmy , KC , L
56 ) Restovich , Michael , MIN , OF
57 ) Bonser , Boof , SF , R
58 ) Bullington , Bryan , PIT , R
59 ) Byrd , Marlon , PHI , OF
60 ) Werth , Jayson , TOR , OF
61 ) Harris , Brendan , CHN , 3B
62 ) Greinke , Zack , KC , R
63 ) Dejesus , David , KC , OF
64 ) Pena , WilyMo , CIN , OF
65 ) Nady , Xavier , SD , OF
66 ) Nelson , Brad , MIL , 1B
67 ) Kubel , Jason , MIN , OF
68 ) Mathis , Jeff , ANA , C
69 ) Maine , John , BAL , R
70 ) Greene , Khalil , SD , SS
71 ) Rivera , Juan , NYY , OF
72 ) Willis , Dontrelle , FLA , L
73 ) Nageotte , Clint , SEA , R
74 ) Buck , John , HOU , C
75 ) Gutierrez , Franklin , LA , OF
76 ) Tracy , Chad , ARI , 3B
77 ) Aybar , Willy , LA , 3B
78 ) Nix , Laynce , TEX , OF
79 ) Gomez , Alexis , KC , OF
80 ) Thorman , Scott , ATL , 1B
81 ) Guthrie , Jeremy , CLE , R
82 ) Kelton , Dave , CHN , 3B
83 ) Heilman , Aaron , NYM , R
84 ) Villarreal , Oscar , ARI , R
85 ) Tsao , Chin-hui , COL , R
86 ) Burnett , Sean , PIT , L
87 ) Peralta , John , CLE , SS
88 ) Youkilis , Kevin , 3B , BOS
89 ) Brownlie , Bobby , CHN , R
90 ) Hafner , Travis , CLE , 1B
91 ) Grueler , Chris , CIN , R
92 ) Castillo , Jose , PIT , SS
93 ) Blackley , Travis , SEA , L
94 ) Bedard , Erik , BAL , L
95 ) Lewis , Colby , TEX , R
96 ) Baker , Jeff , COL , 3B
97 ) Brown , Jeremy , OAK , C
98 ) Crosby , Bobby , OAK , SS
99 ) Ross , Cody , DET , OF
100 ) Jenks , Bobby , ANA , R