The developing trend seems to be that half the folks that go through the evaluation process will actually start command training.....!
I too I'm surprised at some of the names that didn't make it (others not so much) but the hiring trend a few years back when they started hiring guys with experience levels way lower than they had in the past, coupled with the accelerated training schedule having classes every other month has created a situation where we are seeing pilots being evaluated for command at the three year mark and many of those guys hired three or four years ago were not going to be ready.
The bad thing is that moral is affected, people that maybe shouldn't have been put up for evaluation are made go through the process knowing very well that they are going to be shot down at the gates...! Maybe a different schedule for upgrade evaluations is in order?