Doubleday Baseball League

Official 1997 Top 100 Prospects Ranking

Commissioner

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The Doubleday Baseball League today unveiled its highly anticipated 1997 Top 100 Prospects List, spotlighting the next generation of star talent poised to shape the league for years to come. This year’s class features a dynamic mix of power arms, polished hitters, multi-tool outfielders, and high-upside infielders spread across all 24 DBL organizations.

Leading the rankings is Chris Carpenter (New York), the consensus No. 1 overall prospect whose elite pitching arsenal headlines a strong group of young arms. Just behind him is Matt Morris (Oakland) at No. 2, followed by Bobby Abreu (New York)—one of the most complete offensive prospects in the league—at No. 3.

Rounding out the top five are Todd Helton (Colorado), already considered one of the purest hitters in the minors, and Bartolo Colón (Los Angeles), a power right-hander with frontline potential.

This year’s Top 100 includes representation from every franchise, with New York placing an impressive 10 prospects on the list, showcasing the depth of its farm system. Kansas City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Florida also turned in strong showings, each demonstrating substantial talent pipelines as teams eye long-term roster construction.

DBL 1997 Top 100 Prospects

  1. Chris Carpenter — New York
  2. Matt Morris — Oakland
  3. Bobby Abreu — New York
  4. Todd Helton — Colorado
  5. Bartolo Colon — Los Angeles
  6. Richie Sexson — Florida
  7. Derrek Lee — New York
  8. Tony Saunders — Chicago
  9. Justin Thompson — Kansas City
  10. David Ortiz — Boston
  11. Richard Hidalgo — Kansas City
  12. Alan Benes — Orlando
  13. Kevin Millwood — Washington
  14. Torii Hunter — Los Angeles
  15. Jaret Wright — Oakland
  16. Mark Bellhorn — San Diego
  17. Desi Relaford — Detroit
  18. John Thomson — Cleveland
  19. Magglio Ordóñez — New York
  20. Fernando Tatis — Arizona
  21. Steve Woodard — Kansas City
  22. Luis Castillo — Florida
  23. Ugueth Urbina — Los Angeles
  24. Miguel Tejada — Baltimore
  25. Brad Radke — Cincinnati
  26. Sean Casey — Montreal
  27. Derek Lowe — Cincinnati
  28. Willie E. Adams — Chicago
  29. Paul Konerko — Chicago
  30. Mark Kotsay — Florida
  31. Jeff C. D’Amico — Oakland
  32. José Vidro — Chicago
  33. Jason Varitek — Los Angeles
  34. Glendon Rusch — New York
  35. Brett Tomko — Arizona
  36. Dmitri Young — Colorado
  37. Esteban Loaiza — Chicago
  38. Tomás Pérez — Cleveland
  39. Miguel Cairo — Cincinnati
  40. Mac Suzuki — Cincinnati
  41. Homer Bush — Los Angeles
  42. José Rosado — New York
  43. Ramiro Mendoza — Los Angeles
  44. Juan Encarnación — Florida
  45. Pokey Reese — Los Angeles
  46. David Dellucci — Colorado
  47. Orlando Cabrera — New York
  48. Geremi González — Kansas City
  49. Raúl Ibañez — Cleveland
  50. LaTroy Hawkins — Chicago
  51. Brian Moehler — New York
  52. Ben Grieve — Toronto
  53. Howard Battle — Detroit
  54. Bryan Rekar — Arizona
  55. Matt Lawton — Cincinnati
  56. Matt Beech — Cleveland
  57. Brad Fullmer — Washington
  58. Jamey Wright — New York
  59. José Guillén — Seattle
  60. Ken Cloude — Cleveland
  61. Gene Kingsale — Oakland
  62. Travis Miller — Kansas City
  63. Aaron Boone — Cleveland
  64. Manny Aybar — New York
  65. Bubba Trammell — New York
  66. C.J. Nitkowski — Orlando
  67. Todd Walker — Cincinnati
  68. Jason Dickson — Orlando
  69. Adrian Brown — Detroit
  70. Frank Catalanotto — Detroit
  71. Marvin Benard — Chicago
  72. Felipe Lira — Detroit
  73. Bruce Aven — Colorado
  74. Jason Johnson — Colorado
  75. Freddy García — Washington
  76. Scott Eyre — Oakland
  77. David Bell — Los Angeles
  78. John Wasdin — Orlando
  79. Greg Norton — Orlando
  80. Bobby M. Jones — Oakland
  81. George Arias — Chicago
  82. Paul Wilson — Chicago
  83. Raúl Casanova — Chicago
  84. Bobby Chouinard — Florida
  85. Jason McDonald — Florida
  86. Amaury Telemaco — Texas
  87. Rich Aurilia — Baltimore
  88. Felipe Crespo — Los Angeles
  89. Jermaine Allensworth — Cleveland
  90. Calvin Maduro — Kansas City
  91. Emil Brown — Minnesota
  92. Mike Thurman — Florida
  93. Eli Marrero — Chicago
  94. Jimmy Haynes — Florida
  95. José L. Cruz — Chicago
  96. Joe Ayrault — Florida
  97. Tyler Houston — Texas
  98. Matt Mantei — Chicago
  99. Damian Jackson — St. Louis
  100. Kevin Orie — New York

The 1997 Top 100 Prospects list reflects the league’s commitment to showcasing emerging stars and celebrating the developmental systems that prepare them for the majors. Many of the names on this year’s list are expected to make an impact sooner rather than later—some as early as this upcoming season.