James Tibbs III was the 2024 ACC Player of the Year and one of the best hitters in college baseball. After the San Francisco Giants drafted the right fielder with the No. 13 overall pick in 2024, Tibbs was hoping to find that same success in his professional career.

Tibbs quickly excelled in Single-A but struggled in High-A, averaging .134 in 67 at-bats in 2024. 

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The Giants sent him to the Boston Red Sox as part of a package for designated hitter Rafael Devers in June. Then, the Red Sox traded him and outfielder Zach Ehrhard to the Los Angeles Dodgers for starting pitcher Dustin May.

Tibbs told reporters he was confident the Dodgers organization could help him get back to the hitter he was at Florida State.

“I knew what the Dodgers were and what they were capable of,” Tibbs said. “I’ve seen it day in and day out for the last couple of years. I felt like if anybody was going to be able to help me figure out what was going on, it was the Dodgers. … Literally, I’m four games in and I feel like I’m myself again.”

In his first five games with Double-A Tulsa, Tibbs has hit two home runs and recorded a career-best .996 OPS. Tibbs reportedly broke down his swinging mechanics with Tulsa Drillers’ hitting coach Blake Gailen, who has helped him find his groove in professional baseball.

Have yourself a night, James Tibbs III!

? 2nd two-homer game of ’25
? 4 run-scoring knocks
? Reached base all 6 times

The 13th overall pick in the ’24 Draft — now a member of the @Dodgers — delivers his first career 4-hit, 4-RBI outing for the Double-A @TulsaDrillers: pic.twitter.com/apBCT4CfzD

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 7, 2025

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“I just worked really hard on trying to figure out what was going on and trying to get back to the college swing because it got me this far,” Tibbs said. “We broke down what was going on from college and the differences that were there, and kind of ran with it. By the end of the talk, I was like, ‘Alright, I feel good to go.”

Tibbs is now the Dodgers’ No. 7 overall prospect and could make his MLB debut next season.

“I’ve never lost confidence in my ability to play the game,” Tibbs said. “It was just a matter of figuring out the kinks and getting back to me. The Dodgers told me, ‘We love what you do, and we just want you to get back to that.’ That was a breath of fresh air for me. I just want to finish strong and be the best baseball player I can be.”

While the Dodgers had a quiet trade deadline by some standards, the May trade could actually have brought an up and coming star to the LA organization.

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Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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