Each year at 213 we look through the Non-Roster Invitees to spring training and get to know them a bit. Are they in camp to get a look at big league hitting/pitching to aid their development? Are the Mets just trying to get a better look at a future rookie? Are they a veteran trying to get back to the major league level? What can we expect from them this season?
It’s fitting that Tim Tebow is the last entry in this series*. (Not by design, I just go down the NRI page on Mets website meaning I go alphabetically by position – pitchers, catchers, infielders, outfielders).
*Article was written on 2/21 – By the time this article posts its possible the Mets make another NRI signing and they’ll be previewed here. Last year they did this with Carlos Gomez and Adeiny Hechavarria.
I’m going to start off with the opinion I’ve held now for the last two springs when I profiled Tebow. I’ve come around to liking him on the Mets. It has nothing to do with his baseball talent, but him being an ambassador to the game. Right now the Mets don’t really have a lot of outfielders at the upper part of the system that he is blocking, so his existence on the Mets isn’t causing harm. I’ve seen him play twice in the minors (Columbia and Binghamton) and both times fans absolutely adore him. He brings excitement to park at a time when Minor League baseball is fighting for its life (unfairly) against a commissioner that just doesn’t get it. So I’m all for players that bring people out to the ballpark. Now onto the baseball stuff.
His baseball reference page is hilarious if you look at the Age Difference column. After signing with the Mets in 2016 they sent him to the Arizona Fall League where he was 5.7 years older than the average player. In 2017 he was 7.5 years older than the average player in Columbia (he was literally a full grown man who played in the NFL playing against way younger men who were still growing, it was a sight to see in terms of size comparisons), and 6.2 years older in St. Lucie. He was 5.7 years older than the average player in Binghamton and only 4.1 years older than the average player in Syracuse.
Now Tebow made some noise in 2018. Before breaking his hand he hit .273/.336/.399 and looked on pace to go to AAA ball by the end of the season. Last year in Syracuse was not kind to him, in 264 PAs he hit .163/.240/.255. But he loves the game and he is back at it for another season. We wish him luck and I’m sure we’ll see him on every SNY/WPIX broadcast during Spring Training some how.
