New York Mets minor leaguer Tim Tebow could start 2018 with the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag Sports.
Heyman notes the the Mets would love to place the fan drawing Tebow in Binghamton if he has a decent spring. Tebow will be in major league camp next week when position players report.
In a report from MiLB.com, the Mets minor league system saw the biggest increase in attendance across all of the Minor Leagues during the 2017 season. In fact, three of last year’s affiliates were included in the Top 10 in increased attendance in the 2017 season. That list jumps to four when you include the Mets recently acquired Triple-A Syracuse franchise.
It should be no surprise two of the teams on the list were the Columbia Fireflies and St. Lucie Mets as both teams saw team record attendances last year with Tim Tebow on their rosters. In fact, the Fireflies saw the biggest jump in attendance in the minors, and St. Lucie saw the sixth most.
Tebow hit .220/.311/.336 with 14 doubles, three home runs (including one in his first at-bat), 23 RBI and 69 strikeouts in 64 games for Columbia to start the season.
With respect to the Fireflies, it should be noted it was more than Tebow. The team has had a recent rebranding, a new ballpark, hosting the Sally League All Star Game, and great promotions. The most popular promotion was the “Total Eclipse of the Park” which capitalized on the full solar eclipse over the summer.
After his promotion to High-A St. Lucie Tebow got off to a hot start with a .884 OPS in his first month. His final slash line in St. Lucie was .231/.307/.356 with ten doubles and five home runs in 216 at-bats.
The one Mets affiliate on the list who did not have Tebow play for them was the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, who came in at number five. The team’s attendance boost can be attributed to a rebranding from the B-Mets to the Rumble Ponies as well as an extremely successful season that saw the team reach the Eastern League playoffs.
Overall, it is great to see an increased interest in the Mets minor league system, and it will be fun to see how these players progress this season. Have to think with Tebow in Binghamton they will see another large boost in attendance this season.
