Will Tim Tebow Play in the MLB Before the End of 2019?

• Tim Tebow is an Eastern League All-Star in Double-A, for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies
• Tebow has a .277 BA, 6 HR, 35 RBI, and a .748 OPS in his second full year of baseball
• The Mets are currently 13.5 games back in the NL East and appear to be sellers at the trade deadline

Tim Tebow’s athletic career has been very well documented. The 30-year-old is a former Heisman trophy winner, two time national champion, and was an NFL quarterback.

But he left football behind and is now attempting to make the MLB. Last year, his first year in the minors, critics and scouts scoffed at his limited outfield range and long swing. Tebow finished the season batting .170 in Single-A ball, where the average player age is 23.

But he’s quickly turned it around in the minors, making the Eastern League All-Star team in Double-A. Will he continue to make strides and eventually play in the Majors? Sportsbooks have just released odds on the matter:

Will Tim Tebow Play in the MLB Before the End of 2019?

Tim Tebow Believers

This spring the Mets gave Tebow the opportunity to spend spring camp with the big club. Some believe this was a publicity stunt. The Mets will say it was to give Tebow experience at a higher level, hoping to enhance his development.

As Mets GM Sandy Alderson said “I think he will play in the Major Leagues. That’s my guess. That’s my hope, and to some extent now after a year and a half, a modest expectation.”

This year Tebow has hit .277, with 6 HR, 35 RBI, and 97 strikeouts in 253 plate appearances. This was good enough for Tebow to be selected to the Eastern League All-Star game, where the average age of players was 23.8 years.

Are Tebow’s Statistics Worthy of a Promotion

Tebow’s statistics aren’t remarkable, and some would even say they are bad. Tebow has a 35% strikeout rate, and an 8% walk rate in AA baseball. Tebow’s strikeouts would most likely grow in the majors, and his walk rate would most likely do the opposite.

His one positive stat is his BABIP (batting average balls in play), which is a healthy .423. When Tebow makes contact with the ball, the result is often him on base.

Tebow, the Mets, and Tebow fans all need to slow down and realize who he is (or may one day be): a left-handed slugger, who strikes out a lot, doesn’t run the bases well, and may be a defensive liability.

Comparable MLB starters would be Joey Gallo, or Lucas Duda.

Tebow vs MLB Starters

The table displays Tebow’s 2018 AA numbers, compared to Gallo and Duda’s 2018 MLB numbers. Joey Gallo is 24 and has been in the majors since 2015. Duda is 32 and has been in the majors since 2010. These numbers don’t strike fear into opposing team pitchers or scouting department.

Will Tebow Still Get a September Call Up?

All of baseball knows and understands what Tim Tebow is as a baseball player. Due to his age and lack of playing experience, it is unlikely for Tebow to continue to improve at a rate that would allow him to successfully play in the majors.

Keep in mind, Tim Tebow does have contractual obligations with ESPN and the SEC that commence in September. Although, he has stated that baseball is his priority.

Realistically the choice comes to the Mets ownership, and GM Sandy Alderson. The Mets are not in playoff contention. September provides an opportunity for teams to call up young prospects to give them valuable experience in the majors. Would the Mets use one spot for Tebow?

Alderson is a World Series-winning manager, and known to be a serious man and great baseball mind. It would be hard to believe he would call Tebow, whose skillset may be at its peak, to the Majors over a young prospect who may one day be a legitimate MLB player.

A September call up may sell more Mets jerseys, but would it benefit the Mets short term and long term future? The answer is no.