New York Mets: Tim Tebow Homers on First Pitch

When does a home run in an Instructional League game get any attention? When the most talked about player on the New York Mets, Tim Tebow, is the one to hit it.

Yesterday, the Tim Tebow Experiment began in earnest for the New York Mets. After his polarizing tryout, and the surprising signing by the Mets, it was time to see what Tebow actually had. He was about to play in his first Instructional League game, his first real action on the diamond since high school. It was time to see if he could develop into a potential asset, or if this was nothing more than a publicity stunt.

Well, for one day, at least, Tebow showed that he had some potential. He started off his professional baseball career in a way that everyone dreams of, belting the first pitch he saw for an opposite field home run. As one would likely expect from him, Tebow sprinted out of the box, and ran hard around the bases. This was no David Ortiz style leisurely stroll, or a Bartolo Colon home run trot.

Even though the Instructional Leagues can be a place where anyone with a slight bit of ability can get a chance, Tebow was not facing someone who will be bagging groceries next week. The pitcher he hit that home run off of, St. Louis Cardinals 11th round pick John Kilichowski, allowed only one home run to a lefty in 47 at bats this past season.

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Although Tebow was only 1-6 on the day, he did hit several balls hard. Overall, he was satisfied with his performance, although he was unhappy about a double play grounder that he hit to short. Still, for a person who had not played organized baseball in over a decade, it was a solid showing.

It is also worth noting that all of Tebow’s contact went to the opposite field. Tebow admitted that he was late with his swings, but that his plan was to be aggressive and to try to hit the ball gap to gap. With more work on the field, that plan may come to fruition in time.

Nonetheless, in his first real game action, Tim Tebow showed that there was more to the Mets decision to ink him to a minor league deal than to just sell a few jerseys. He showed off some of his power potential, and displayed enough in the batter’s box that he may actually be a viable player. No one is expecting Tebow to reach the Majors any time soon, but he may not be a Rookie League washout.

Next: Ten players that exceeded home run expectations

The Tim Tebow Experiment is nowhere close to being over, and we still do not know if he will be an asset for the New York Mets. However, the early returns are promising for the former quarterback.