USA TODAY International Edition
Mets promoting Tebow to high Class A
SAN FRANCISCO Just before sharing a tidbit of information with reporters, New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson noted that it wasn’t “front- page news.”
Perhaps, but just about everything involving Tim Tebow is worthy of a headline.
The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL quarterback will be promoted from low Class A Columbia ( S. C.) to high Class A St. Lucie ( Port St. Lucie, Fla.) starting Tuesday, Alderson said.
After his final game with the Fireflies on Sunday, Tebow was batting .216 with three home runs and 24 RBI. He had struck out 70 times with 25 walks in 214 at- bats and had an on- base plus slugging percentage of .629.
“His on- base ( percentage), isolated power, swing, exit velocity, a lot of different things have been much better in the last 15 games,” Alderson said. “On the other hand, we recognize this is not the normal, usual circumstance, but we just felt that given everything involved, this was about the right time for him to move up to high A.”
In baseball terms, the promotion is not a huge step forward, especially for a 29- year- old outfielder trying to make the improbable leap from the broadcasting booth — Tebow remains a college football commentator — to the major leagues.
Alderson said Tebow’s OPS at home has been nearly twice as high as it is on the road, although he didn’t know what to make of that.
Tebow did spend time at the club’s spring training facility in Port St. Lucie, so the locale will be familiar, and he returns to the state where he’s idolized for his football feats at the University of Florida, where he helped the Gators win two football national championships.
Although Alderson would not address what he sees as Tebow’s ceiling, it’s obvious reaching the major leagues remains a long shot, even if the National League East fourth- place Mets start trading veterans ahead of the deadline, as expected.
“We’re pleased with the first half of the season,” Alderson said. “It’s not like he’s tearing up the league, but at the same time, all the indications are positive in terms of various things we look at, chase rate, exit velocity, a host of other things. ... The bottom line is the average isn’t there, but he’s improving.”