Tim Tebow Update: He's Retiring From Baseball

Tim Tebow's long, quixotic quest to become a Major League Baseball player has come to an end. More than four years after signing a minor league contract with the New York Mets, Tebow is done with the game.

After three minor league seasons, Tebow finishes with a career slash line of .223/.299/.338, 18 home runs, 107 RBIs and 85 walks against 357 strikeouts in 287 games. The 33-year-old had some moments where he looked at home on a baseball diamond, but it was mostly four years of struggles.

Tebow reached Triple-A in 2019 but bottomed out there, hitting .163 with four home runs, 19 RBIs and 98 strikeouts in 77 games. His best season came at Double-A in 2018, where in 84 games he produced a slash line of .273/.336/.399 and hit six home runs while driving in 36 runs. He still struggled to make consistent contact, as he struck out 103 times. Perhaps Tebow's biggest legacy is the massive crowds his celebrity brought to minor league stadiums over the years.

Tebow released the following statement announcing his retirement:

""I want to thank the Mets, Mr. Alderson, the fans and all my teammates for the chance to be a part of such a great organization. I loved every minute of the journey, but at this time I feel called in other directions. I never want to be partially in on anything. I always want to be 100 percent in on whatever I choose. Thank you again for everyone’s support of this awesome journey in baseball, I’ll always cherish my time as a Met. #LGM""

When Tebow expressed his desire to start a baseball career at 27 years old after not playing since high school, many believed it was a joke. But he was dead serious about one day reaching the MLB level.

While that was never going to happen, it's pretty impressive Tebow made it as far as he did and stuck with the game this long. He's an athletic guy but that doesn't always translate to success in a given sport. This felt largely like a publicity stunt at first and, frankly, his name is what kept him around. But he wasn't as bad as many expected him to be.

I guess that means it's time to end our long series of Tim Tebow career updates.