Dodgers Prospect Acquired in Red Sox Trade Already Turning Heads in Triple-A

Los Angeles Dodgers top prospect James Tibbs III is already turning heads in Triple-A this season.

Tibbs was acquired by the Dodgers at last summer's trade deadline. The Dodgers sent longtime pitcher Dustin May to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for outfielders Tibbs and Zach Ehrhard.

Tibbs has made his presence known at Oklahoma City, going 12-for-22 (.545) with three home runs, nine runs batted in, eight extra-base hits and an OPS of 1.827 through the first five games of the year.

The 23-year-old just missed a cycle on Saturday as he doubled off the centerfield wall in his final plate appearance of the game. He had a triple, double and single earlier in the game.

The Dodgers traded Dustin May to the Red Sox for James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard last year. Both players are in Triple-A.

Tibbs through three games:

8-for-13 (.615)
2 HR
8 RBI
6 XBH
2.105 OPS

This is what separates the Dodgers from the rest of MLB.pic.twitter.com/mTeVq8fSfK
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) March 31, 2026

Joining the back-to-back World Series champions wasn't an easy path for Tibbs as he was traded twice in the span of six weeks last season.

The top prospect found himself as part of the San Francisco Giants' return package for Red Sox star Rafael Devers. A month and a half later, Tibbs landed with the Dodgers.

His early success in the minors is no easy feat.

“It’s very rare for somebody picked that high to be traded twice so soon,” general manager Brandon Gomes said. “We know this has been a lot. First year of pro ball is challenging enough and then first full season and you’re getting shipped around the country. I think it was just kind of listening and hearing him out and sharing ideas.”

Despite the obstacles, Tibbs has seemingly found his way in the minor leagues for the two-time defending champs.

“I’ve always had a hard time at first adjusting,” Tibbs explained this spring to The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya.

“They’ve just let me be myself,” he added. “I think the main thing was just coming in here, I just felt like a shell of myself. I was trying to find my swing again, find the thing that made me successful in the past.”

Dodgers Farm System Kills Narrative That They're Ruining Baseball

While Tibbs' stats from the season's first five games are a small sample size, it's indicative of the Dodgers' success from top to bottom as an organization.

Yes, the Dodgers are not afraid to spend big in free agency. That's evident by the $240 million deal to top free agent Kyle Tucker and $69 million deal for one of baseball's best closers in Edwin Diaz.

But what the Dodgers don't get enough credit for is their farm system, which is top two in the league per MLB Pipeline (listed behind the Milwaukee Brewers). The narrative that the Dodgers are ruining baseball dies with the success of their farm system, which gives the team an abundance of resources.

Tibbs is the latest addition.

The Dodgers front office is known for its big splashes in free agency, but adding talent in their farm hasn't been included in headlines nearly enough. Tibbs could very well be the Dodgers' next power hitter if he can continue on this upward trajectory at the plate.

The organization knows this.

“He’s a championship-type player,” manager Dave Roberts said of Tibbs this spring.

Seems like a perfect fit for a team vying for championships year in and year out.