When a prospect who’s close to the major leagues goes off in spring training, fans tend to jump to the conclusion that he’s ready for the major leagues. It happens like clockwork every spring.
Additionally, for some reason, when a player has already received a taste of the major leagues, such as a September call-up, everyone automatically believes that he deserves to make the Opening Day roster.
But the fact of the matter is that very few organizations are willing to put all of their eggs in one basket for a prospect. Despite a player's minor league track record and success during spring training, a team’s decision to not break camp with a certain prospect is usually based on both developmental and financial concerns.
With two weeks remaining on the spring schedule, there are numerous prospects competing for one of the final spots on their respective teams' 25-man roster. However, it seems as though each of these five prospects will have to turn in an a string of eye-opening performances to avoid a trip back to the minor leagues.