What are the keys to solely using current ratings to forecast future ratings/development? Just looking at the difference between year 1 and year 2? It seems like it would take forever to have to evaluate every player that way. Do those that use zero in advanced scouting use a spreadsheet using the first two years of ratings to do this for every player?

why do you have to evaluate every player?

you get your initial feel about projections from your draft or IFA scouts ... after that, for your own players, you only need current do decide if they belong on the MLB club at the time ... you may need a little projecting to determine 40-man spots, but isn't like you have 60 guys in your sytmem that need 40 spots

other than that, you only need to project guys you are looking to trade away or trade for

Players have development patterns. It's much easier for me to figure out where my guys will be in their 4th-5th season than it is for me to figure out where your guys will in their 4th-5th seasons.

I put a note with each potential big leaguer I draft, sign or trade for. They're the only ones I care about developing. Some teams have a lot of little yellow notes(which I erase at the start of their 6th season), some teams have very few.