Dodgers' James Tibbs Makes History Not Seen in Over 40 Years Amid Dominant Season

The outfielder was a top-5 PCL player in several major hitting categories

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman James Tibbs III against the Seattle Mariners during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch on Feb. 23, 2026. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Los Angeles Dodgers minor league outfielder James Tibbs III put up eye-popping numbers with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets this season.

It didn't result in his first big-league promotion, but that's more a reflection of the talent residing in Los Angeles' outfield than the singularity of his performance.

Before Wednesday's playoff game, Tibbs played in 141 games this season for the Comets. He ranked in the top-5 in the Pacific Coast League in runs (109, second), hits (150, third), doubles (32, tied for fourth), home runs (30, second), RBIs (107, second), walks (108, first), on-base percentage (.409, fourth), slugging percentage (.532, second) and OPS (.941, fourth).

Tibbs has made history this season as the first PCL player since Albuquerque's Greg Brock in 1982 with 100 or more RBIs, 100 or more runs and 100 or more walks in the same season.

A player like this doesn’t come around too often. 😳

James Tibbs III is the first PCL player since 1982 with 100+ RBI, 100+ runs and 100+ walks in the same season.👏 pic.twitter.com/kh1SSQ7Jc5

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) September 21, 2026

The Dodgers acquired Tibbs from the Boston Red Sox at last year's trade deadline in the deal that sent pitcher Dustin May to Boston. Tibbs hit .207 in 30 games in the Red Sox sytem prior to the trade, then immediately blossomed in the Dodgers organization, slashing .269/.407/.493 in 36 games last year for Double-A Tulsa.

Tibbs was the 13th overall pick of the 2024 draft by the San Francisco Giants. Remarkably, he's played for three organizations in two years since. The Giants and the Red Sox might have underestimated Tibbs' talent, or at least (in Boston's case) not understood how to nurture it.

The Dodgers aren't complaining.

A left-handed hitter, Tibbs is buried on a depth chart in which the Dodgers' backup catcher (Dalton Rushing), right fielder (Kyle Tucker) and designated hitter (Shohei Ohtani) all have a similar offensive profile. So does prospect Josue De Paula, who was promoted from Double-A Tulsa to take Ohtani's place on the active roster earlier this month.

The talent around him in the organization suggests Tibbs has more work to do before he is promoted to Los Angeles — even if his numbers suggest otherwise.

“It’s just hard to predict what minor-league performance [will translate to up here],” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes told the California Post earlier this month.

Just ask Brock. He played parts of 10 major league seasons, but only got more than 500 plate appearances twice — including as a rookie with the Dodgers in 1983. He never scored 100 runs or collected 100 RBIs in any of them.

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