Tim Tebow is the furthest thing from a quitter. Even after an abysmal last season for the New York Mets at Triple-A Syracuse in which he posted one of the worst batting averages in the league and suffered a pinky injury, the former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner isn't letting his Major League Baseball dreams die.
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The Florida Gators legend married a former Miss Universe in the offseason and probably should've answered the XFL opportunity he was offered when it came knocking. Now entering his fourth full season, Tebow is still an ESPN college football analyst trying to prove he's worth a big league roster spot in New York Mets spring training games.
Home runs will do just that.
Tebow Hits 1st Spring Training Home Run
On Tuesday, Tebow launched his first spring training home run of the 2020 season off Detroit Tigers reliever Alex Wilson in the sixth inning. The impressive blast sailed over the left-center field wall for a two-run homer at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida.
Tebow's long ball was also notable because the 32-year-old outfielder had never recorded an extra-base hit in big league camp, let alone of the home run variety. Wilson, no slouch, owns a career 3.44 ERA in seven MLB seasons. He posted back-to-back sub-3.00 ERAs for the Tigers from 2015-16.
https://twitter.com/_jonvasquez/status/1232393811248152578?s=20
Tebow talks about the big bop pic.twitter.com/a7tOl1K2NB
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) February 25, 2020
Every time it seems Tebow's baseball career is nearing its end, he goes and does something like this. Despite Tebow's effort, the Mets lost the game 9-6.
The home run must be a welcomed sign for Mets fans and Tebow fans across the globe. He hit just .163 with four home runs, 19 RBIs and 98 strikeouts last year at Triple-A, showing he had trouble with better pitching.
Tebow will continue to fill seats in Port St. Lucie for spring training games, and that's totally fine. But his chances at playing outfield in Queens one day still seem pretty farfetched unless he hits more home runs like this one.
Tebow has been known for making great first impressions for the Mets organization at each minor league level. He's hit 18 official home runs in minor league competition but seems to hit them when it matters.
Here are a few other Tim Tebow home runs.
Tebow Homers in First Pro At-Bat
In his first at-bat with the Mets in 2016, he cranked a home run on the very first pitch he saw:
Tebow Homers In First Single-A At-Bat
Tebow wowed in his first at-bat with the Single-A Columbia Fireflies in 2017 by jacking a home run against the Augusta GreenJackets:
Tebow Homers in First Double-A At-Bat
Yet again, Tebow didn't wait long to go yard for the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies of the Eastern League in 2018. He slammed a homer in his first at-bat and garnered Eastern League All-Star honors later that year.
He finished the season hitting .273 with six home runs and 36 RBIs.
How long will Tim Tebow's baseball career last? Let's just enjoy the ride.
