The 2024 draft was a big moment for James Tibbs III. The Florida State outfielder was the 13th player chosen, an auspicious start to his professional career.
It’s just that no one would have forecast such a high draft pick would play for three organizations in his first year as a pro. The 23-year-old appears to have found a home with the Dodgers.
Tibbs shined at spring training, compiling a 1.053 OPS in 23 Cactus League games, and kept up the pace early in the season. He clobbered seven home runs in his first nine games for Triple-A Oklahoma City while batting .474 and slugging 1.184.
He has come a long way in a short time.
Eleven months after being drafted by the Giants, Tibbs was traded to the Red Sox in the Rafael Devers blockbuster. Six weeks later, following just 30 games for Double-A Portland, Tibbs was on the move again.
He and fellow outfield prospect Zach Ehrhard were traded to the Dodgers for righthander Dustin May.
“It was a lot,” Tibbs said. “A lot of people just see it for what it is in black and white. But it’s so much more than that. The emotions. The moving. The people you’re leaving. The new people you have to meet.
“It’s hard . . . But it’s been awesome. I’m so thankful to be here. It taught me so many great lessons. I’m really glad it happened.”
This spring, Tibbs said he understands that’s just the nature of baseball.
“You sign a contract and you can be anywhere,” he said. “That’s just the reality of baseball. I learned that the hard way. As a guy who’s come from one high school and one college and one travel-ball organization, I had to learn that.”
Tibbs hit just hit just .243 with an .801 OPS last season while playing at High-A for the Giants and Double-A for the Red Sox and Dodgers. But this spring, he made a positive impression in big league camp.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called him “a championship-type player” and said he wouldn’t be surprised at all if Tibbs made his big league debut at some point this season.
“He’s on our radar,” Roberts said. “. . . He is obsessed with getting better at the game and he just fits who I am as a baseball coach—and the players who we want. So he’s going to play in the big leagues.”
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL
— Lefthander Zach Root made his first appearance for the Dodgers at their Spring Breakout game. The 2025 first-rounder didn’t pitch in any games after signing last summer, but he struck out eight of the 10 batters he faced in three innings against White Sox prospects.
— The Dodgers signed lefthander Logan Allen to a minor league contract, and he opened the season in the Triple-A rotation. The 28-year-old spent last season in Korea after pitching for four teams in parts of five major league seasons, most recently making 12 appearances for the 2024 Diamondbacks. Allen pitched for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic this spring, allowing one run in 3.1 innings.