San Francisco Giants Select Power Hitting Outfielder In New Mock Draft

The San Francisco Giants projected to take ACC Player of the Year by MLB.com.

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-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants are tabbed to take some power help in MLB Pipeline's Jonathan Mayo's newest mock draft in the form of Florida State's James Tibbs. The outfielder is one of the many potential first rounders playing in Omaha for the College World Series, and the ACC Player of the Year will look to showcase his talents there.

Tibbs, a junior, has been a regular contributor for the Seminoles over his first two seasons, but really broke out in 2024 to become a potential top 15 pick. In his first 62 games of the year, the 21-year-old slashed .375/.497/.813 with 28 long balls and 94 RBI. The extemely high on-base percentage was helped out by Tibbs walking 23 more times than he struck out.

His huge year not only earned him Player of the Year honors, but he was selected to the ACC First Team and named a Golden Spikes Semifinalist.

Tibbs is currently ranked as the number 16 overall prospect on MLB Pipeline's Draft Top 200. Known for his bat, given a 60-grade hit tool, Tibbs could end up being one of the quicker moving prospects from this draft.

The outfielder is described as "smart and confident" in the batters box. However, Tibbs has "struggled more with breaking stuff in the past."

At the plate, there isn't a real standout tool in terms of the power or hit, but he does everything well and has a very high floor. The floor was raised in large part due to Tibbs cutting his strikeout rate by nearly half since his freshman year.

On defense, though, it's not quite the same story. While he isn't a bad defender, due to his 40-grade run tool, it's likely he is confined to a corner outfield position. Tibbs played all of his games in right field for Florida State in 2024, but a fall back option in pro ball could be first base. In 2023, he played 37 of his 54 games at first.

As a college veteran and potential quick mover, Tibbs could be the ideal selection for San Francisco. While the outfield is currently clogged with a lot of veterans, that won't be the case over the next two years. Both Austin Slater and Michael Conforto are free agents after the season, and Mike Yastrzemski is a free agent after next season.

The Giants have Jung Hoo Lee inked long term along with promising bats like Heliot Ramos and Luis Matos, but Tibbs could be the best player available at 13. Time will tell, though, as he may boost his stock even more in Omaha.