Extensive physics analysis and modeling has been undertaken for the typical operational regimes of the tokamak devices JET and JT-60U with the aim of extrapolating present day experiments to JT-60SA, which shares important characteristics with both tokamaks. A series of representative discharges of two operational scenarios, H-mode and hybrid, have been used for this purpose. Predictive simulations of core turbulence, particle transport, current diffusion and pedestal pressure have been carried out with different combinations of models. The ability of the models for reproducing the experimental data is analyzed and scenario calculations for JT-60SA are performed following an optimum set of models.