VIDEO: Tim Tebow Shows Power at the Plate as Major League Baseball Scouts Watch

by McIntosh | August 31, 2016 2:23 am

Tim Tebow put on an amazing power demonstration for a assemblage of major league scouts on Tuesday, but endeavored against live pitching and received assorted reviews for his physical tools[1] in a two-hour workout. Whatever you may or may not think of Tim Tebow, the guy just doesn’t give up. Now that might be a exactly what your problem is with him, but tough. You try shrugging off the amount of hate this guy gets and keep chugging along.

Sounds like a Rocky-esque character to me.

[2]

It has been over 12 years since Tebow last played baseball and that was in high school. The former Heisman Trophy winner smacked eight balls over the fence at USC’s Dedeaux Field where the workout took place, including hits that cleared the scoreboard and ranged out into the trees in right field. The natural lefty also swung and smacked a ball in opposite-field drive that flew over the left field wall. Impressive.

But this is where is goes a bit dry.

He definitely looked much less impressive during live batting practice that had the former NFL star pitted against former major league relief pitchers Chad Smith and David Aardsma. Smith’s fastball flew out at a whopping 92 mph and Tebow was able to put four of Smith’s first 20 pitches in play, banging a line drive towards center field that would have been the only for sure hit out of the whole group. The others, not so certain. He also displayed his ability to push out decent bat speed when he lined two balls to shortstop and grounded one to second base.

“I thought he was OK. Better than I expected, to be honest,” said one major league scout speaking to USA Today, who would not be identified “For not having played as long as he had, I thought he did OK.”

“That’s a big dude, for as fast as he can run. The power was impressive, but I wish he could have translated it maybe a little better (against live pitching).”

Against Aardsma, Tebow did a bit better when he hit the top of the left field fence, hit another ball that ranged out towards the base of the fence and also smacked quite a few several line drives every which way.

Tebow wowed a giant portion of the scouts during batting practice with his display of pure strength in hitting, “That was big power,” one scout said. “He was mis-hitting the ball out of the park.”

[3]

Earlier during the workout, sporting blue spandex shorts, a white top and flashy gold and red cleats, Tebow ran the 60-yard dash and clocked in at an impressive range of 6.65 to 6.82 seconds, placing him from an average to an above average on the MLB scale. Not bad at all for being out of the game.

Tebow then switched into outfield positions and yet again disappointed some scouts who were not excessively impressed by his throws from right field to second base, third base and home.

All in all, it’s up in the air what good Tim Tebow wrought. We will have to wait and see.