JHR's Predictions for 1996
| AL West | AL Central | AL East |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | Cleveland | Baltimore |
| California | Chicago | Boston |
| Texas | Kansas City | New York |
| Oakland | Minnesota | Detroit |
| Milwaukee | Toronto |
| NL West | NL Central | NL East |
|---|---|---|
| Dodgers | Astros | Braves |
| Padres | Cardinals | Marlins |
| Giants | Reds | Mets |
| Rockies | Cubs | Phillies |
| Pirates | Expos |
World Series: Indians over Braves
Comments: I think that Dave Johnson will have the Orioles near 100 wins, and the loss of Johnson will collapse the Reds performance. I also think highly of Buck Showalter as a manager and as a consequence am picking the Yankees for a decline. None of the West teams impresses me much.
End of April comments: I don't seem to be so high on the Red Sox anymore. It looks to me like the White Sox have a better shot at the wild card. I'm also beginning to believe that the Padres will win the west and the Expos can get the wildcard spot.
End of May comments: For the wild card, I'm changing my Sox. ("And about time, too" I was told) I still think that the Orioles will win the East - Steinbrenner usually does something to knock the Yankees out of a close race. Since the Mariners lost Johnson, I'm not quite so high in them, but I'm not yet confident that the Rangers won't have a late season drop-off similar to the Angels' last year. In the NL, I'm willing to believe that the Padres are for real. That moves the wild-card to either the Expos or the Dodgers and Alou has done enough to impress me into going with the Expos.