James Tibbs

School: Florida State
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.8
BA Grade: 50/High
Tools: Hit: 55. Power: 55. Run: 40. Field: 30. Arm: 50.

Tibbs led Florida State in slugging as a freshman in 2022 and signaled to the program the offensive force he would be for the next three years. A short and stocky 6-foot, 204-pound lefthanded hitter, Tibbs did nothing but hit in each of his three seasons with the Seminoles—as well as during a summer in the Cape Cod League in 2023. Heading into the College World Series this year, he was a career .342/.465/.697 hitter who had hit a career-best 28 homers in 2024. Tibbs began his career as a slugging bat with significant swing-and-miss questions who struck out 31.7% of the time in 2022. He ended it with a reputation as one of the best pure hitters in a down draft class with just a 10.5% strikeout rate in 2024. He has a clean lefty swing and an ability to use the entire field with solid impact, and while he does swing and miss a bit versus secondaries, he generally makes sound swing decisions and has produced at a high clip against velocity of 92 mph and faster. Tibbs has solid but unspectacular raw power, though his six home runs in 40 games in the Cape Cod League should create confidence in his ability to do damage with wood in pro ball. He’s a corner profile through and through, whether that’s in an outfield corner or at first base, and is expected to be a below-average defender in either spot. Despite a bat-only profile, Tibbs has hit enough to warrant first-round selection.