One of the most intriguing storylines in spring training is Tim Tebow and his quest to make it to the big leagues. Unfortunately, his debut with the New York Mets camp will have be delayed due to a bizarre injury.
On Sunday, it was announced that Tebow, the former college football superstar, suffered an ankle injury and is now day-to-day. To the dismay of locals in Florida and his former Gators’ alumni, his debut is expected to be pushed back a few days.
The injury was a bizarre one as apparently Tebow sprained his ankle after tripping over a sprinkler. The sport of baseball has a long history of odd injuries, like Sammy Sosa’s sneezing and Glenallen Hill’s sleepwalking, so this will surely be filed into that category.
As to Tebow’s prospects of making the team, it seems rather unlikely. The oddsmakers at BetDSI posted some props on his spring training performance (see below) and he’ll have to do better than the projections if he’s to make the cut. Keep in mind that these odds were pulled on Friday when Grapefruit League action got underway.
Will Tim Tebow be added to an MLB roster in 2018?
Yes +650
No -1000
Will Tim Tebow play in an MLB game in 2018?
Yes +750
No -1300
First player to reach Triple-A minor league baseball
Russell Wilson +150
Tim Tebow -200
Tim Tebow total strikeouts during 2018 Grapefruit League
Over 7.5 (-150)
Under 7.5 (+120)
Tim Tebow batting average during 2018 Grapefruit League
Over .160 (-130)
Under .160 (+100)
Will Tim Tebow record a hit during 2018 Grapefruit League?
Yes -400
No +340
Will Tim Tebow hit a home run during 2018 Grapefruit League?
Yes +700
No -1200
Result of Tim Tebow’s first at-bat in the 2018 Grapefruit League
Strikeout -130
Fly out +200
Ground out +250
Walk +1000
Hit (single, double, triple, home run) +1200
Hit by pitch +2500
Odds courtesy of BetDSI Sportsbook.
To date, Tebow has done little to show that he’s worthy of a roster on a Major League Baseball team – unless a team is thinking about merchandizing and sales. Tebow batted a lousy .226 with eight home runs between Class-A Columbia and High-A St. Lucie last year. Beyond that, he’s already 30 years old, so most teams would rather invest in someone younger with upside.
However, Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson went out of his way to predict that Tebow will in fact be a Major League player one day. Last Sunday, he told reporters that he’s seen enough progress over the last year and that his projection is a “modest expectation”. We’ll find out more when we see Tebow in action but it seems like Alderson’s view might be a little bit rosy. Unless Tebow finds a way to connect the bat to the ball with a higher frequency, it’s unlikely he’ll ever make a Major League appearance unless it’s at the end of someone’s roster late in the season.
