Here are some numbers I came up with while playing around in WolfMAME .106. The list below shows how many frames, on average, it took me to get to the top of the ladder that leads to the springs girder. Not Pauline's ladder, but the ladder where you finally have to wait for the springs and is considered the first "safe spot." I'm no killscreener, but this isn't a particularly difficult set of moves to make so I'm very confident that these numbers are very close. However, this was not done with frame-advance, so I'm sure each of these times could be shaved down.
No prizes, top shelf jump: 581
No prizes, lower shortcut: 586
Left side prizes, top shelf jump: 793
Left side prizes, lower short cut: 914
All three prizes, top shelf jump: 1059
All three prizes, lower shortcut: 1157
Level 2 timers move at 100 frames per tick, level 3 timers move at 80 frames per tick, and level 4+ timers move at 60 frames per tick. These don't include barrel timers. That means on level 2 you're always going to lose 500-600 points, on level 3 you'll lose 700-800 points, and on level 4+ you'll always lose 900-1000 points.
On level 2, if you grab both left side prizes without a fireball delay it only takes another ~333 frames to get into position. That's only another 300-400 points off the timer...which is made up by the 1000 points in prizes.
Here's how I think it all shakes out (again, advanced players please chime in here if you have better numbers). 2P = 2 left prizes, 3P = all three prizes. TS = top shelf jump.
Path Positive Point Differential
Level 2
2P - no TS 600
2P - TS 800
3P - no TS 900
3P - TS 1000
Level 3
2P - no TS 1200
2P - TS 1400
3P - no TS 1700
3P - TS 1800
Level 4+
2P - no TS 1000
2P - TS 1200
3P - no TS 1400
3P - TS 1600
