New Mets GM Reveals Tebow Will Take a Big Step Up To Start 2019 Season
Next year could be a big year for the baseball career of Tim Tebow.
The former NFL quarterback may be on track to join an elite group of athletes to play professional in two major sports — at least that’s the indication coming from New York Mets brass.
New Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen told MLB.com that it’s possible Tebow could be on the Mets’ Opening Day roster.
Tim Tebow is likely to begin 2019 at Triple-A, but new #Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen did not rule out the possibility that he could make the @MLB Opening Day roster. Tebow has fully healed from hamate injury, Van Wagenen said. @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 6, 2018
Van Wagenen said that while it’s probable that Tebow begins the year in Triple-A, he added, “if he wows us (in spring training) you never know,” MLB.com reported.
Van Wagenen said Tebow has fully recovered from a hand injury and has been working out “multiple times per week” in Florida with free-agent second baseman Daniel Murphy (a former Met) and assistant hitting coach Tom Slater to improve his swing.
Tebow was having his best year in professional baseball before a broken hamate bone in his right hand ended his season in July.
With the Mets Double-A affiliate Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Tebow hit .273 with six homers and 36 RBIs in 84 games.
He was named to the Eastern League All-Star team, but shortly thereafter he suffered the season-ending injury, which required surgery.
Prior to the injury, there was talk of Tebow possibly being called up to the Mets in September.
When the Mets break camp in Florida in March, the most likely scenario has the 31-year-old Tebow heading to Triple-A Syracuse, unless he performs so well in the spring that the Mets are convinced he can start the season on the big league roster.
Even though an Opening Day roster spot is a possibility, the reality is Tebow only has a little more than half a season of Double-A experience under his belt. Triple-A pitching is significantly better than the Double-A level, and pitchers at the big-league level are better than those at Triple-A, so going straight to the majors may be too much to ask.
There have only been 68 athletes who have played in the NFL and MLB in their careers, according to Baseball Almanac — the latest being Drew Henson and Brian Jordan.
Brian Jordan, Drew Henson, Chad Hutchinson played in @MLB & @NFL . Jordan in AA, Tebow hasn’t even played @MiLB yet. https://t.co/ffAVolmdcJ
— Geoffrey Craig (@Geoffrey_Craig) September 8, 2016
“I have loved this adventure and the journey so far — the highs and the lows of it,” Tebow said last summer, reported MLB.com. “What it has taught me about life is that I think it is worth pursuing what is in your heart and things that you are passionate about.”
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