New York Mets: Tim Tebow to play in Arizona Fall League

Sep 28, 2016; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets player Tim Tebow fields a ground ball during his first at bat during an instructional league game against the St. Louis Cardinals instructional league team. Mandatory Credit: Jeremiah Wilson/Treasure Coast News via USA TODAY Sports
Sep 28, 2016; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets player Tim Tebow fields a ground ball during his first at bat during an instructional league game against the St. Louis Cardinals instructional league team. Mandatory Credit: Jeremiah Wilson/Treasure Coast News via USA TODAY Sports

After brief stint in Instructional League, the New York Mets are having Tim Tebow step up his level of competition and are sending him to the Arizona Fall League

The hottest ticket in Arizona won’t be for the Cardinals. Or the Suns. Or the Coyotes. No the hottest ticket in Arizona will be for the Scottsdale Scorpions. Why? Tim Tebow is coming to town.

After hitting .286 (4-for-14) with a homer, two RBI and two walks, the Mets have decided to increase the competition for the 29-year old outfielder. Tebow will report to the Arizona Fall League this weekend and join the Scottsdale Scorpions.

We want Tim to play in more games to continue developing his skills on the field while facing advanced competition,” Mets GM Sandy Alderson said.

The Arizona Fall League contains some of the best prospects in the game, a certain step up for Tebow as he tries to become a major leaguer.

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But are the Mets rushing Tebow? He’s going from facing kids in the instructional league to guys like David Paulino, Austin Voth and Michael Kopech. Is Tebow ready to face that kind of competition after just 14 at-bats? Would the Mets do this with any other prospect if it wasn’t Tim Tebow? If Tebow had gone 1-for-14 with no extra base hits would they have sent him to Arizona?

Michael Jordan played in the AFL and hit .252. Would it matter if Tebow did better or worse? Maybe. Maybe not.

The Scottsdale Scorpion club that he will be joining is comprised of minor leaguers from the Angels, Mets, Giants, Yankees and Phillies. Tebow will be one of two players born in the 1980s on his own club, finding himself almost a full year shy of Giants taxi catcher Eliezer Zambrano, who hit .185 in 33 games with Double-A Richmond this season.

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I think Tebow will have a more successful career than Jordan. He was an all-state player in high school which is more than Jordan accomplished in terms of baseball.

If Tebow is going to prove this is more than sideshow carnival act, the Fall League would be the place to do it. If he falls flat on his face, this could the beginning of this getting really ugly.