MLB Draft Profile- James Tibbs III

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Today’s Spotlight - Florida State, OF, James Tibbs III

Name- James Tibbs III

Bats/Throws- L/L

Pos- OF

Team- Florida State

HT/WT- 6’0” 204 lbs

Born- 10/1/2002

Home – Marietta, GA

Tibbs attended Pope High School in Georgia. He earned first team All-State honors as a sophomore and senior, and helped lead Pope to the 2018 Georgia 6-A state championship and a runner-up finish in 2019. He chose to join Florida State following his high school career.

Tibbs made a great first impression as a freshman, slashing .300/.411/.553 (average, on base %, slugging) with 10 home runs, 13 doubles, and 32 RBI. He was named Second-Team Freshman All-American by Perfect Game.

Last season as a sophomore, Tibbs went .338/.471/.682, hitting 17 home runs, 14 doubles, and driving in 43 RBI. He was team leader in average, home runs, RBI, on base %, slugging, and walks.

This season is Tibbs' junior year, and he looks to improve his numbers again to creep into the first round of the draft.

Strengths

• Arm Strength
• Approach at the Plate
• Hits to All Fields
• Bat to Ball Skills
• Hitting the High Velocity

Tibbs is a well-rounded and complete player. His bat-to-ball skills are among the top in the class. He hits for a good average, but also has a fantastic approach in the box, drawing walks at a high clip, and is a very tough to strike out. His on-base upside is extremely high. 

Tibbs has a short, quick swing which has allowed him to turn around fastballs and hit the high velocity with great efficiency to all fields. Defensively, Tibbs has an above average arm from the outfield which will bode well for him in the corner positions.

Weaknesses

• Defensive Range
• Speed

Tibbs is a solid athlete with a thick and powerful lower half, but this limits his straight line speed. For this reason, he will likely fit the profile of a corner outfielder in pro ball, and maybe can play first base as well. His range is limited in the field, but he gets good reads and has a good arm which will keep him out of a DH role.

Tibbs is a solid corner outfielder with an above average arm in the field. At the plate, his skillset is about as complete as they come, and has been improving with every year of college ball. His continued success and improvement along with his ability to get on base will likely propel him into the first round of this year's draft.

Draft Nation Projection- 1st round pick