Tim Tebow gets Mets spring training invite for third consecutive season

January 9, 2020

The Mets have extended a spring training invitation to outfield prospect and former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reports. DiComo notes that Tebow will be in camp as a non-roster invitee. Tebow will be one of 15 NRIs in Mets camp this coming spring.

Tebow, 32, has spent parts of three seasons in the Mets' minor-league system. Over that span, he's batted .223/.299/.338 with 18 home runs, 48 doubles, and five stolen bases in 287 games while primarily playing left field. Last season, Tebow reached the Triple-A level and slashed .163/.240/.255 with four home runs in 77 games. He has yet to appear in the majors.

Tebow signed with the Mets prior to the 2016 season at age 28 and after having not played organized baseball since high school. Prior to his professional baseball career, Tebow won the Heisman Trophy in 2007 as quarterback for the University of Florida. He went on to play in 35 NFL games for the Broncos and Jets. Tebow started two playoff games for the Broncos.

The Mets also brought Tebow to camp as an NRI in 2018 and 2019. Last spring there was speculation that Tebow could play his way to the majors in some point in 2019. He was coming off a solid season at the Double-A level. However, Tebow struggled against Triple-A pitching and suffered a season-ending finger laceration in July.

Presumably, he's ticketed for Triple-A in 2020 and will once again have a chance to play his way to the highest level.

With Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, J.D. Davis, and Jake Marisnick all likely to be on the active roster and with Yoenis Cespedes hoping to work his way back from ankle fractures, the Mets have a crowded outfield situation. As well, the scaled-back MLB September rosters mean that there will be less room for a player like Tebow toward the end of the season. Mostly, though, it's about better results at the highest minor-league rung. Tebow, if healthy, will have a chance to achieve that in 2020.