'It was surreal': FSU product Tibbs drafted 13th overall by Giants
Outfielder is Seminoles' highest pick since SF took Posey 5th in 2008
Maria Guardado
@mi_guardadoSixteen years after drafting Buster Posey, the Giants selected another first-rounder out of Florida State, nabbing outfielder James Tibbs III with the 13th overall pick of Sunday's 2024 MLB Draft.
Tibbs, 21, was an incredibly productive hitter for the Seminoles over the past three seasons, each one better than the last. After batting .300 with 10 homers and a .964 OPS as a freshman in 2022, he hit .339 with 17 dingers and a 1.153 OPS as a sophomore.
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This year, MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 12 Draft prospect took another leap forward -- a .363 average, 28 home runs and a 1.264 OPS en route to earning ACC Player of the Year honors. All the while, Tibbs consistently improved his strikeout-to-walk ratio each year; 2024 was the first in which he recorded more walks (58) than K¡¯s (37).
¡°We really believe in his bat, his ability to hit and his ability to hit with power,¡± amateur scouting director Michael Holmes said. ¡°The left-handed aspect of him, being able to drive the ball to all fields, and really kind of be a middle-of-the-order type who we think will be in our lineup in the near future. He¡¯s a guy that we¡¯re really excited that we had an opportunity to draft and a guy that we¡¯ve been scouting quite a bit of for some time.¡±
Tibbs, a Georgia native, said approximately 100 people, including many of his former coaches, gathered at his home on Sunday night to hear his name called by the Giants.
¡°It was surreal,¡± Tibbs said. ¡°Your whole life, you work for something. To be able to continue that at the next level is something that you always dream of.¡±
Tibbs is Florida State¡¯s highest Draft selection since the Giants nabbed Posey with the fifth overall pick in 2008.
¡°When he got his number retired [last year], he came and talked to us,¡± Tibbs said. ¡°Just being able to learn from him and hear from him and see how he approached the game was something that was super inspiring to me. I can¡¯t wait to learn more if I ever get that opportunity.¡±
The Giants' next pick will be in the fourth round Monday, after they lost their second- and third-round picks for signing Blake Snell and Matt Chapman, players who turned down qualifying offers during the offseason. They have a $7,566,200 pool allotment this year, including a $5,272,300 bonus slot for their top pick.
Tibbs¡¯ natural skills from the left side of the plate to hit for average and power, to drive the ball to all fields and do so while displaying improved discipline is why he has rocketed up Draft boards within the past year. In December, MLB Pipeline had Tibbs ranked 81st. By April, as he was constructing a season that would make him a unanimous first-team All-American, he had soared up to No. 22. And he kept moving up, especially after crushing three home runs in Florida State¡¯s Super Regional win over UConn on June 8.
"Seeing Tibbs go with the pick before me, I instantly got emotional -- just like my pick,¡± said Florida State teammate Cam Smith, whom the Cubs drafted No. 14 overall. ¡°But I had to keep it together because I hadn¡¯t heard my name yet, so I tried to keep it together as much as I could. Yeah, that¡¯s a great dude. That's our leader. That¡¯s our guy. To see him go to San Francisco, it¡¯s awesome, man.¡±
Tibbs has already proven that he can punish baseballs with wood bats, too. He slashed .303/.390/.472 with six homers over 142 at-bats in the Cape Cod League in 2023.
¡°I¡¯m somebody that¡¯s going to be consistent,¡± Tibbs said. ¡°Do the same thing every day. I¡¯ll take walks, I¡¯m looking to drive the baseball to all parts of the field, play great defense and be able to continue to improve on all of those things. I¡¯m somebody that¡¯s hungry and willing to work and wants to be a part of championship baseball.¡±
While Tibbs dominates in the batter¡¯s box, he could be limited to left field at the next level due to his below-average speed. The 6-foot, 201-pounder could also end up at first base, a position he saw significant time at in 2023.
The Giants have now drafted college players with five of their six first-round Draft picks under president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, as they also selected outfielder Hunter Bishop (Arizona State) in 2019, catcher Patrick Bailey (North Carolina State) in ¡¯20, right-hander Will Bednar (Mississippi State) in ¡¯21 and left-hander Reggie Crawford (UConn) in ¡¯22. They broke away from that trend last year, when they snagged first baseman Bryce Eldridge out of James Madison High School in Virginia.