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Florida State outfielder James Tibbs III described being selected in the first round of the 2024 MLB draft as a dream come true. Tibbs, the ACC Player of the Year, was picked No. 13 overall by the San Francisco Giants in the annual draft on Sunday, making him the highest Florida State draft choice since the Giants selected Buster Posey as fifth overall in 2008.
Surrounded by his family, friends and coaches, Tibbs said the selection alone was the fulfillment of his dream, and he hopes to continue this when he gets a chance to play in the MLB for the Giants.
"It was surreal. Your whole life, you work for something. To be able to continue that at the next level is something that you always dream of. This is everything I ever wanted to do," Tibbs said.
The southpaw played 66 games with the Seminoles this past season and hit .363 with 28 home runs and 95 RBIs while producing an on-base plus slugging percentage of 1.264.
His power bat helped Florida State secure a slot in the 2024 College World Series. The Seminoles placed joint third with the Florida Gators, as they lost to eventual national champions, the Tennessee Volunteers, in the semifinals.
San Francisco Giants official views James Tibbs III as a middle-of-the-order hitter
San Francisco Giants amateur scouting senior director Michael Holmes sees the team's pick, James Tibbs III, as a left-handed prospect who can bring the ball to various locations on the field. Holmes expressed excitement over Tibbs' capability to hit the ball with power.
“We really believe in his bat, his ability to hit and hit with power and the left-handed aspect being able to drive the ball to all fields and be a middle-of-the-order type of hitter who we think will be in our lineup in the near future," Holmes said.
The drafting of Tibbs in the first round breaks the Giants' streak of selecting two-way players in the opening round. Two years ago, San Francisco picked Reggie Crawford, and last year, the team drafted Bryce Eldridge.
The Giants will likely maximize the selection as the club lost the opportunity to pick in the second and third rounds following the signing of free agents Matt Chapman and Blake Snell during spring training.
Due to this, San Francisco's next pick is in the fourth round, 116th overall. The pick forfeitures also caused the team's bonus pool to decline to $7,566,200, the fifth lowest among the 30 clubs.
Will James Tibbs III become a franchise player for the San Francisco Giants? Let us know your views in the comments section.
