The 2024 series on team offense continues with the San Francisco Giants. The Giants finished twenty fourth in the Majors and fourteenth in the National League in 2023 with 4.16 runs scored per game.

This season I am using FanGraphs Roster Resource Depth Charts* as the source of default lineups. That Bob Melvin batting order is plugged into the Lineup Analysis Tool (LAT) using Musings Marcels as the batter projections. For Jung Hoo Lee, I used the FanGraphs projection, since that seemed more relevant than using the Marcels rookie numbers. That information produces the following results (Runs per game):

• Best lineup: 4.53
• Probable lineup: 4.49
• Worst lineup: 4.30
• Regressed lineup: 4.27

The Giants nail the top of the lineup with the ninth best lineup matching the first four of the default lineup exactly. If the projection holds, Lee should be an excellent lead-off man for the Giants. He helps give the Giants three good OBPs in front of Jorge Soler, who can deliver the power to drive in the runners.

The LAT bats Matt Chapman fifth, and I like that choice better than Michael Conforto. Fifth, with that top three, still demands power. While there isn’t a lot of power in the rest of the lineup, Chapman still projects to provide more than Conforto. If would also free up Conforto to serve as a secondary leadoff-man in the ninth slot.

No matter the configuration, I don’t expect a great offensive season by the Giants. It looks like the bottom three will be an easier stretch for opposing pitchers. Those pitchers should be able to keep the ball in the park as well. The improvement isn’t enough to keep up with the top offenses in the division.

You can follow the data for the series in this Google spreadsheet.

Previous posts in this series:

• Introduction
• Atlanta Braves
• Los Angeles Dodgers
• Texas Rangers
• Tampa Bay Rays
• Houston Astros
• Chicago Cubs
• Baltimore Orioles
• Philadelphia Phillies
• Cincinnati Reds
• Minnesota Twins
• Boston Red Sox
• Seattle Mariners
• San Diego Padres
• Arizona Diamondbacks
• Toronto Blue Jays
• Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
• Milwaukee Brewers
• Colorado Rockies
• St. Louis Cardinals
• New York Mets
• Washington Nationals
• Pittsburgh Pirates
• Kansas City Royals

*This is the best source of roster information I’ve seen, with everything on one page.