You have to love what the Mets really said if you read between the lines:
From the author:
“Tebow played 77 games at baseball’s highest minor league level in 2019, batting .163 with four home runs.”
From the Mets:
“By reaching the Triple-A level in 2019, he far exceeded expectations when he first entered the system in 2016”
That’s right – hitting .163 with no power in triple-A is FAR better than they expected!
(I would love to see the scouting reports. What exactly were those expectations? My guess is that they said something like this: “With a bat in his hand, Tebow couldn’t hit a beachball tossed underhand. On the other hand, lots of conservative Christians will pay to see him play, and will buy plenty of beer, hot dogs, and branded merchandise. The amount of profit he will generate is greater than the amount we will pay him, so what do we have to lose? Sign the sumbitch.”)
Those are Michael Jordan type numbers.
The extent to which Tebow “succeeded” in professional baseball was based entirely on his ability to put asses in seats — the Fundies love him. I watched him quite a bit in Single A, and he never should’ve been moved to Double A, much less Triple A.
This isn’t a knock on Tebow personally. Who wouldn’t take the opportunity to pursue a career in professional baseball given the opportunity? Beats real work. And he seems like a genuinely good guy, regardless of how you feel about his faith.