2024 MLB Draft Profile: James Tibbs III
Draft Profile: James Tibbs III (Florida State)
Height: 6'0
Weight: 200
Bats/Throws: Left/Left
James Tibbs, a consensus riser in most people’s 2024 Draft Evaluations, is an intriguing prospect to evaluate ahead of the 2024 MLB Draft.
Tibbs has been a pivotal part in the resurgence of Florida State, leading the nation in RBIs as of me writing this article.
While evalutating Tibbs, the first thing that immediately stands out to me are his swing mechanics. He does a good job of using his lower half of his body to generate his power, which makes it more pure, in a sense.
His lower body allows him to generate a powerful swing as his barrel goes through the zone. He is a particularly impressive watch in this sense, and helps him generate an impressive 52% Hard-Hit rate in 2024, which is in the 98th percentile in all of college baseball.
As a result, Tibbs is able to generate impressive power to all fields thanks to the strength of his lower half. He displays that here.
Tibbs also has shown an impressive ability to hit higher velocity levels over the last two years at FSU — boasting a .680 xwOBA and a 56% hard-hit rate on Fastballs ≥ 93 MPH from RHP.
Tibbs overall swing path is able to be adjusted thanks to his frame type. He’s able to shorten his swing for contact purposes if necessary thanks to his hand speed, and generally has done a better job of that this year in comparison to the past when he was primarily a power-majority player.
He also has shown demonstrated improvement at doing damage to breaking balls. He has always been productive against arm-side movement, but has done a great job putting his offensive profile together in 2024.
His approach when he has two-strikes on him remains productive, and does not strikeout often.
Defensively, Tibbs profiles as a corner outfielder. He has amicable, though I would not say great, range. He does have an above-average arm, and also plays first-base as well, so he does have some positional flexibility. His bat carries his profile, but he has the makings of being a benefit as a defender as well.
Overall, Tibbs is an impressive prospect. He is easily a first-round caliber prospect. He has the plate discipline and swing decision metrics that support his upside. He is able to generate plus power to all fields and can play multiple positions. He generates frequent contact, and the contact is hard. He has polished his game, and shows what natural progression should look like for an impact player over the course of a college career.
