Intriguing San Francisco Giants Prospect Just Misses Cut For MLB.com's Top 100

The San Francisco Giants took a big swing in the first round of the 2024 MLB draft by selecting James Tibbs III, who nearly made MLB.com's Top 100 prospect list ahead of the 2025 season.
May 25, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Florida State outfielder James Tibbs III (22) hits a ball in the second inning against Wake Forest during the ACC Baseball Tournament at Truist Field.
May 25, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Florida State outfielder James Tibbs III (22) hits a ball in the second inning against Wake Forest during the ACC Baseball Tournament at Truist Field. / Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images
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When the San Francisco Giants selected James Tibbs III with the 13th overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft, they added an advanced hitter with major upside to their organizational pipeline.

Less than a year later, Tibbs III was one of the last 10 names cut from MLB.com's 2025 pre-season Top 100 prospect rankings, Ben Weinrib revealed in an article on Monday.

Tibbs III was a revelation at Florida State in 2024, slashing .363/.488/.777 as a junior while socking 28 home runs and driving in 95 runs. In putting up those gaudy numbers, he proved to be one of the very best and most prolific hitters in the country, leading the Seminoles to a 49-17 record.

The season featured a long run in the ACC tournament before a loss to Duke as well as an appearance in Omaha for the College World Series, where the Seminoles earned victories over Virginia and North Carolina before bowing out at the hands of Tennessee.

Tibbs III's success throughout the season made it a foregone conclusion that he would leave school early for the draft as a consensus first round pick. The Giants made him their guy at 13th, and Tibbs III got reps in both Single-A and High-A after signing with the organization.

His overall results were not outstanding, but they rarely are with collegiate hitters turned pro right after the draft process. Over 116 at-bats between the two levels, Tibbs III hit two homers and drove in six runs while producing a .241/.293/.343 slash line for the San Jose Giants and Eugene Emeralds.

The Giants have a lot riding on the success of prospects like Tibbs III, as the organization only placed one youngster on MLB.com's Top 100, with first baseman Bryce Eldridge checking in at 24th in the league.

This is also borne out by ESPN.com's ranking of the league's 30 farm systems. The Giants held the 29th spot there, though author Kiley McDaniel pointed out that it was largely due to the recent graduations from the system of players like Patrick Bailey, Kyle Harrison, and Marco Luciano.

But as the club's new president of baseball operations Buster Posey weighs the balance between building a contender now and setting the team up for future success, there's no question that he's excited a fellow Florida State Seminole looks to be a pillar he can build around for the years down the road.

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Kyle Morton
KYLE MORTON

Kyle Morton has covered various sports from amateur to professional level athletics. A graduate of Fordham University, Kyle specializes in MLB and NHL coverage while having previous bylines with SB Nation, The Hockey Writers, HighSchoolOT, and Sports World News. He spent time working the beat for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and is an avid fan of the NHL, MLB, NFL and college basketball. Enjoys the outdoors and hiking in his free time away from sports.