The Mets announced on Friday that they have invited Tim Tebow to major league spring training for the second straight season.
Tebow, 30, will begin his second year of attempting to reach the big leagues when the Mets open spring training in Port St. Lucie, Fla., next month. Exhibition games begin on Feb. 23.
The former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback spent 2017 in the minor leaguers as a left-handed-hitting outfielder after having not played baseball since high school. In 126 games for two Single-A teams, Tebow hit .226 with eight home runs and 52 RBIs. He struck out 126 times in 486 plate appearances.
In September, Tebow told MLB.com: "For me, (2018) will be about training and getting better, and then trying to show up at spring training and being ready to go. I need to be as ready as I can be ... . (Baseball) is a very different grind. It's the first time I've gone through it. It's probably as many games as I've played, more than my whole high-school career. There's a grind to it, and it's something you've got to get used to because it's something I've never done before. I think it will be easier (in 2018) from that standpoint, mentally, knowing what to expect. As far as baseball goes, I think it will be a huge year for me."
Tebow signed a minor-league contract with the Mets in September, 2016. He reported to instructional league, while also doing his other job as a college football analyst for ESPN.
The Mets also announced the rest of their spring training invitees: first baseman Peter Alonso, LHP P.J. Conlon, outfielder Kevin Kaczmarski, catcher Patrick Mazeika, RHP Drew Smith, RHP Corey Taylor, infielder David Thompson and RHP Adonis Uceta. They had previously invited outfielder Zach Borenstein, infielder Phil Evans, catcher Jose Lobaton and LHP Matt Purke.
Reliever Kevin McGowan, who was designated for assignment on Wednesday, cleared waivers and was also invited to spring training after being assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas. Reliever Chasen Bradford was claimed off waivers by Seattle.
