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Tebow Defying Odds, Critics; Gets Bump To High-A

As if Tim Tebow signing with the Mets was not “fairytale” enough, he just earned a promotion the day after the Gators baseball team clinched an appearance in the College World Series Finals.

On September 8th, 2016, the New York Mets took a huge risk and signed a 28-year-old who had not played baseball in over a decade. Why so long? Well he was busy winning two BCS National Championships, a Heisman Trophy, and spending some time bouncing around the NFL.

That risk was on Tim Tebow. And for the Mets organization, that risk is paying off so far.

Starting out with the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League, Tebow hit for a low .194 average in 19 games. Obviously he would have liked to do better, but the Mets were pleased enough to invite him to Spring Training, where he played a handful of games with the Big League Squad.

Columbia

Now nobody, including Tebow himself, expected him to make the Mets roster this season. Starting out the season with the single-A Columbia Fireflies, Tebow definitely showed that his goal is to be a Major League caliber player.

But what did he do in his VERY FIRST AT-BAT?

Watching his average go from as low as .156 to as high as .250, Tebow has obviously been working on his mechanics while with Columbia. Just shy of three months into the season, Tebow is batting .220, with three home runs, 24 walks, 69 strikeouts, and an OPS of .648. While many would say those numbers are below expectations, keep in mind that he is also the oldest guy on the team (by six years!)

The Mets organization though, must be seeing enough improvement.

On to St. Lucie

On June 26th, Tebow was promoted. He will now be playing for the St. Lucie Mets, of the Florida State League (Advanced-A).

For diehard Tebow and Florida Gators fans, this is welcomed news, Tebow back in orange and blue. And the St.Lucie Mets are excited themselves, as they know that ticket sales are going to skyrocket. When you go on the team website, there is a pop-up that says “It’s Tebow Time! Get Tickets Now!” There are already t-shirts available for sale. So it is safe to say that St. Lucie is going all-in on the “Tebow Circus.”

When asked about those who think the promotion is undeserved, Tebow politely told them “That’s not something I have to answer.”

But for Tebow, this is a sign that his hard work over the last nine months is paying off, despite what everyone thought would happen. And as far as the New York Mets are concerned, they could use the positive vibes stemming from “Tebowmania.”

Even the Florida Fire Frogs, one of St. Lucie competitors, are cashing in one the news…

Struggling Mets

Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey, David Wright, and Michael Conforto are the disabled list. Asdrubal Cabrera is dissatisfied with playing second base, and is in potential trade talks along with Curtis Granderson and Jay Bruce. More importantly, the Mets are in 4th place in the N.L. East, seven games under .500 and 11 games behind the division leading Washington Nationals.

So fans need a feel-good story.

So is a late-season call-up going to happen? Most likely not, but it isn’t in the realm of impossible. If the Mets remain out of contention going into September and decide to bring him up for the last couple weeks, one thing is for sure; it will be fun to watch.

With Tebow slated to be in the line-up for the St. Lucie Mets on Tuesday, he is most likely watching his Alma Mater vye for their first College World Series National Championship, as the Gators take on LSU in a best-of-three for all the glory.

For an earlier story on Tim Tebow, click here.

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