Tim Tebow will continue his development as a baseball player in the Arizona Fall League, the New York Mets announced Tuesday.
The 29-year-old former NFL quarterback will play for the Scottsdale Scorpions and manager Tom Goodwin, the Mets first base coach.
“We want Tim to play in more games to continue developing his skills on the field while facing advanced competition,” New York general manager Sandy Alderson said, per ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin.
Rubin noted Tebow went 4-for-14 with one home run and two walks in three instructional league games.
The home run came on the first pitch he saw as a professional baseball player:
After a successful few games against a relatively low level of competition, the AFL will represent a major challenge, as noted by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com:
Tebow was a first-round NFL draft pick in 2010 and spent two years with the Denver Broncos before struggling to find another opportunity. His last regular-season appearance came in December 2012 with the New York Jets.
With his football career behind him, Tebow chose to return to baseball, which he last played in high school. Tebow held an open workout Aug. 30, and on Sept. 8 the Mets signed him to a minor league contract with a $100,000 bonus.
Though the Heisman Trophy winner has an uphill climb ahead of him to reach the majors, performing well in the Arizona Fall League would be a big step toward accomplishing that goal.
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