New York Mets outfielder Tim Tebow is not ready for the majors right now. That shouldn’t come as a surprise. The team knows it, the public knows it and even the most diehard Mets fans would admit it. There’s a reason he’s going to the low minors to start the season.
But in case there were any true believers still out there who think Tebow can hold his own against baseball’s best right now, well, we’ve got some news for you. Tebow squared off against Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer on Monday. He looked exactly like a 29-year-old ex-quarterback who hasn’t played competitive baseball since high school should look against one of the game’s best.
Tim Tebow hits against Max Scherzer.It's fun and eventful, and for Tim, it doesn't go well. pic.twitter.com/4oZabpjOYS
— Jay White (@JayWhiteSports) March 27, 2017
The result was predictable. Tebow struck out on three pitches from Scherzer during his first at-bat. Scherzer, the reigning National League Cy Young, didn’t toy around with his pitches, either. He simply blew three fastballs past Tebow for the out.
In Tebow’s defense, Scherzer’s fastball is far from ordinary.
Scherzer strikes out Tebow on three pitches: 96, 97, 97.— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) March 27, 2017
The two faced off again in the fifth inning, and Tebow fared just a bit better. This time, he struck out on four pitches.
His struggles continued even after Scherzer left the contest. Tebow grounded out to the pitcher his third time up, and struck out for a third time in his final at-bat. He finished 0-4, with three strikeouts on the day. Through 24 spring at-bats, Tebow is hitting .167.
Again, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Scherzer is arguably the second-best pitcher on Earth. Tebow is a lottery ticket. Still, it goes to show the massive uphill battle Tebow faces if he hopes to make it to the majors. Hitting major-league fastballs isn’t easy, especially when you haven’t seen anything resembling one in over a decade.
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