Tim Tebow made the unlikely transition from NFL quarterback to professional baseball in 2016 when he signed a Minor League contract with the Mets. New York handed the former Heisman Trophy winner a $100,000 signing bonus and sent him off on a journey that spanned parts of six years, four Minor League teams and several invitations to Major League Spring Training camp. While Tebow didn't reach the Majors, he certainly drew attention, fans and excitement in his time with the Mets.
Most fans likely remember Tebow from his time in college with the Florida Gators -- known for his running ability, Tebow won the Heisman Trophy as the top player in college football in 2007 and was a Heisman finalist in 2008 and '09. He was named SEC Player of the Year in 2008 and 2009 and was selected by Sports Illustrated as the magazine's College Football Player of the Decade before the Denver Broncos drafted him in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft at No. 25. Tebow spent two seasons in Denver (2010-11) and another with the New York Jets (2012) in the NFL before sliding into a role as an analyst with ESPN on the SEC Network.
Then came baseball. Tebow, who by 2016 had become a New York Times best-selling author and a frequent face on ESPN, got his first taste of baseball in the Arizona Fall League, where he suited up for the first time since high school. He started his Minor League career with the Class A Columbia Fireflies and homered twice in his first three games, including in his first career at-bat on April 6, 2017. The quarterback-turned-outfielder was selected as an Eastern League All-Star in 2018 with Double-A Binghamton after he was a non-roster invitee to Major League camp with the Mets that spring. Tebow was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse in 2019 and appeared in 77 games, hitting .163, until he cut his hand fielding a ball on July 21. That injury ultimately ended his season and, with Covid-19 wiping out the Minor Leagues in 2020, it would turn out to be the final game of his career. The 33-year-old Tebow announced his retirement on Feb. 17, 2021 despite receiving an invitation to big league camp five days earlier.
"I loved every minute of the journey," Tebow said. "But at this time, I feel called in other directions."
The Mets announced on Feb. 17, 2021 that outfielder Tim Tebow had voluntarily retired from the game. The 33-year-old, who had been invited to New York's Major League Spring Training, exited professional baseball after compiling a .223/.299/.338 slash line over three seasons in the Mets system. The former Heisman Trophy winner brought fans out in droves during his time in the Minors. Full story
For the second year in a row, the season has ended early for Mets farmhand and former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. The 31-year-old outfielder will miss the rest of the Triple-A Syracuse campaign due to a laceration on his left hand that he suffered fielding a ball in a July 23 game against Toledo and required stitches.
A casual fist bump welcomed Tim Tebow down the stairs of the home dugout at NBT Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon. He slapped five with a coach, touched knuckles with a teammate, then looked for more congratulations. He got none. Most of his Triple-A Syracuse teammates looked away as if the outfielder had returned from just another plate appearance.
Regardless of performance, Tim Tebow's presence on the field has been a huge draw both at home and on the road. Not surprisingly, Columbia leads the league in average and total attendance this year, drawing 5,214 per game and 104,274 in 20 contests.
Tim Tebow thought about what's been going so well for him at the plate, what's boosted his batting average 36 points since the beginning of June. To put it simply, what made him an Eastern League All-Star.
Tommy Smith, a loyal Yankees fan, is excited to see Tim Tebow again this week when he's in town for the All-Star Game on Wednesday. He's also quick to tell you who his favorite player is. "Tebow," he said with a smile.
Before he stepped onto the field for his Eastern League All-Star appearance Wednesday, Tim Tebow admitted he was already preparing mentally for Double-A Binghamton's first series out of the break against Akron. It seems the extra homework paid off. The Mets outfielder cracked his sixth homer of the season and drove in a pair of runs on a three-hit night.
As Yogi Berra once quipped, "It's déjà vu all over again" for Tim Tebow. A year after homering in his first at-bat as a professional, the Mets farmhand did it again Thursday, launching a three-run blast on the first pitch he saw at the Double-A level for Binghamton.
Tim Tebow's second season in the Minors appears to be over. The Mets outfielder will have surgery on his broken right hand and is expected to miss the remainder of the 2018 season, according to multiple sources on Monday. MLB.com's Anthony DiComo confirmed the news, saying Tebow had broken the hamate bone in his right hand and is expected to undergo surgery.
Tim Tebow's first season in baseball is in the books, and for his many fans and critics, it was a memorable journey. How did he fare, though?
It seemed like destiny. It felt like the next improbable step in an almost mythical career that has been tough to define in two sports. For Tim Tebow, one swing on Thursday night was just a brief culmination of his pregame work on the first day of a 140-game season.
Tim Tebow finally revealed Tuesday night why he's pursuing a baseball career. "I'm obviously doing it for the money," Tebow told Jimmy Fallon on NBC's The Tonight Show. "I think I get like $1,200 a month. I'm in it for the money."
Tim Tebow's dream of a baseball career is coming true: The former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner signed a Minor League deal with the Mets on Thursday and will join the team's instructional league program in Florida later this month.
| YEAR | TEAM | LG | LEVEL | G | AB | R | H | TB | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Columbia | SAL | A (Full) | 64 | 214 | 29 | 47 | 72 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 23 | 24 | 69 | 0 | 1 | .220 | .311 | .336 | .648 |
| 2017 | St. Lucie | FSL | A (Adv) | 62 | 216 | 21 | 50 | 77 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 29 | 19 | 57 | 2 | 1 | .231 | .307 | .356 | .664 |
| 2017 | 2 teams | - | Minors | 126 | 430 | 50 | 97 | 149 | 24 | 2 | 8 | 52 | 43 | 126 | 2 | 2 | .226 | .309 | .347 | .656 |
| 2018 | Binghamton | EAS | AA | 84 | 271 | 32 | 74 | 108 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 36 | 22 | 103 | 1 | 0 | .273 | .336 | .399 | .734 |
| 2019 | Syracuse | INT | AAA | 77 | 239 | 25 | 39 | 61 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 19 | 20 | 98 | 2 | 2 | .163 | .240 | .255 | .495 |
| Career | 4 teams | Minors | 287 | 940 | 107 | 210 | 318 | 48 | 3 | 18 | 107 | 85 | 327 | 5 | 4 | .223 | .299 | .338 | .638 |
Tebow signed with the Mets after a showcase workout at USC in August which reportedly drew interest from the Rockies and Braves. He homered on the first pitch he saw while participating in the Mets' instructional league that September and saw his first action that fall with Scottsdale in the prospect-laden Arizona Fall League, going 12-for-71 with two RBIs in 19 games.
The 29-year-old converted outfielder begins his Minor League career with a bang, going deep in his first at-bat with Class A Columbia. He was promoted to Class A Advanced St. Lucie on June 28 and homered that day, too. In 126 games across two levels, Tebow hit .226 with eight home runs, 52 RBIs and scored 50 runs. Here's a detailed look at his 2017 season.
A Heisman Trophy. A pair of National Championships with Florida. AP and Sporting News Player of the Year. Campbell Trophy. Manning Award. Multiple SEC Player of the Year honors. And then, in 2018, Tebow added to the list: Eastern League All-Star. Tebow hit .273 with six homers, 36 RBIs, 14 doubles and posted a career-best .336 OBP in 84 games with Binghamton.
Tebow made his Triple-A debut with Syracuse but struggled at the plate, batting .163 with 98 strikeouts in 77 games. The 31-year-old homered four times and plated 19 runs before an hand injury while fielding a ball on July 21 sent him to the 7-day injured list. The injury ended his season, but Tebow received an invitation to Major League camp in 2020 and 2021.
Teams: Columbia Fireflies, St. Lucie Mets, Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Syracuse Mets; Scottsdale Scorpions (AFL)
MLB affiliate: New York Mets
Position: Outfield
Height, weight: 6-3, 245
Bats, throws: Left
Number: 15
Born: Aug. 14, 1987, Makati, Philippines
School: University of Florida
Obtained: Signed by the New York Mets as a free agent to a Minor League contract on Sept. 8, 2016
Retired: Feb. 17, 2021 (age 33)
