Unfortunately, it's not so simple. Prospect development is seldom linear, and that means that prospect evaluation -- and yes, the rankings formed therefrom -- are as volatile as a kernel in a popcorn machine. Some players bounce up, some players get buried below.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora’s approach with top prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer has left some scratching their heads. Cora has preferred to bench Anthony and Mayer — both left-handed hitters — against left-handed pitching.