I like ZiPS projections for doing analysis for the upcoming season for the Giants. For about a dozen years, I would collect a variety of projections from sources, and I found that ZiPS generally were in the middle. Baseball Forecast would often be on the higher side, while Steamer would be on the lower side. The ZiPS methodology is pretty rock solid as well, as it calculates decile percentile projections, and his reviews of prior year percentile projections find that roughly 50% of players projected beat their 50th percentile projections, and so on, up to 10% beating their 90th percentile and down to 90% beating their 10th percentile projections. No wonder pro teams pay him for consulting services.
Another tool I like is the Lineup Analyzer that Baseball Musings designed based on research from others. It utilizes the regression analysis of long term batting lineup data that the researcher provided (I was able to confirm the analysis still worked by inputting the NL lineup data and comparing it with the actual, and it was always close back then), to calculate the runs scored by the OBP and SLG of each hitter of the lineup, and after you input a lineup of hitters with their projections for the new season, it can analyze which lineups maximizes the runs scored by this particular lineup.
That’s how the concept of batting the pitcher 8th came about, as this analysis showed that to maximize runs scored, placing even your worst position player hitter 9th would improve scoring by placing additional runners for the top of the order to drive in. Tony LaRussa was one MLB manager who took this to heart and batted his pitchers 8th.
I thought I would take the expected Giants position starters (since there is not much competition there this year), input their projections, and see what the best lineup would be.