New York Mets assign Tim Tebow to AA to start 2018
Curious as to where the New York Mets most famous minor leaguer is heading for the 2018 season? Your questions have been answered!
One can debate the merits of Tim Tebow being a part of the New York Mets organization. He has been seen as more of a sideshow than a baseball talent, someone that the Mets are exploiting to gain attention and fans for their minor league affiliates. Considering his production in his first campaign in organized baseball, a combined .226/.309/.347 batting line with eight homers and 24 doubles, those naysayers gained even more ammunition.
However, the Mets are determined to continue the Tebow Experiment. There are expectations now, with the Mets hoping that he can become a viable asset in the system. Those expectations have led to aggressive promotions, including one this season. Yesterday, it was announced that the Mets will promote Tebow to AA, as he will start the year with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.
Mets plan to announce that Tim Tebow will start the season at Double-A Binghamton.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) March 26, 2018
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Of course, it stands to ask how much this promotion is really earned. Tebow hardly did himself any favors during the major league portion of Spring Training, going 1-18 with 11 strikeouts and a walk. However, it is also fair to note that Tebow’s performance was better than that of Ryan Schimpf, who managed to be hitless during his 35 plate appearances, striking out 19 times.
This promotion is also notable for another reason. The Rumble Ponies ranked dead last in the Eastern League in average attendance, drawing just under 3300 fans per contest. Only four other AA teams fared worse than Binghamton, giving the organization plenty of motivation to find a way to draw fans. With Tebow, those numbers will certainly improve.
To be fair, Tebow did show signs of improvement last year. And there is no question that he is working towards becoming the best baseball player he can be. However, AA is the proving ground for prospects, that place where a notable improvement in competition takes place. Can Tebow really continue forward, and prove this experiment to be worthwhile?
The New York Mets are sending Tim Tebow to AA. The experiment is getting another test to start the 2018 campaign.