Photo by Ed Delany
Spring Training 2021 is officially under way. Mets pitchers and catchers reported Wednesday to Clover Park in Port Saint Lucie and position players are scheduled to report on Monday. However, there will be one non-roster invitee and a very popular and well-known player missing when position players report, and that is fan-favorite, Tim Tebow, who on Wednesday announced his retirement from professional baseball.
Tebow was signed by the Mets to a minor league contract on September 8, 2016 and has spent the last four years in the Mets minor league system, most recently making it to Triple-A Syracuse in 2019.
After starting his career in Port Saint Lucie in the Mets’ development league, Tebow split his first season (2017) as a member of the Mets organization between Single-A Columbia and Advanced-A St. Lucie. In his first at bat in the professional development league, he went deep against the St. Louis Cardinals.
In his first full season between Columbia and St. Lucie, He batted .226/.309/.347, with a .656 OPS in 2017, with 24 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 52 RBI’s, and 43 walks.
Tebow spent the 2018 season with Double-A Binghamton, batting .273/.336/.399, with a .734 OPS. He had 14 doubles, one triple, six home runs, 36 RBI’s and 22 walks in 2018. In his first at bat at the Double-A level, Tebow again went deep with a home run. He was named to the Eastern League All-Star Team and represented the Rumble Ponies as a designated hitter.
He closed out his career in 2019 with Triple-A Syracuse, a level not many thought he would get to when he was first signed by the Mets.
“By reaching the Triple-A level in 2019, he far exceeded expectations when he first entered the system in 2016 and he should be very proud of his accomplishments,” stated Mets team President Sandy Alderson.
Tebow hit .163/.240/.255, with a .495 OPS in 2019, accumulating 10 doubles, four home runs, 19 RBI’s and 20 walks. His 2019 season was cut short after he was placed on the injured-list with a laceration to his left-hand, ending his 2019 season early.
Tebow hangs up his cleats after four-seasons with the Mets. Total over the course of his career in the Mets minor league system, the 33-year old from Makati, Phillippines batted .223/.299/.338, with a .638 OPS. He accumulated a total of 48 doubles, three triples, 18 home runs, 107 RBI’s, and 85 walks.
“It has been a pleasure to have Tim in our organization as he’s been a consummate professional during his four years with the Mets,” stated Alderson.
Tebow, a University of Florida graduate and popular and inspirational icon for many stated that he feels called in other directions at this time. He thanked Sandy Alderson and the Mets organization in a tweet on Wednesday night.
