Former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow held a workout in front of “roughly 25” Major League Baseball teams in Los Angeles on Tuesday, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, and reviews of his performance were mixed.
Participating in the workout as an outfielder, Tebow—who earned all-state honors playing baseball at Allen D. Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, according to the Washington Post‘s Marissa Payne—impressed with a 60-yard dash in the ballpark of 6.6-6.8 seconds.
Former MLB pitcher and ESPN broadcaster Dallas Braden relayed video of Tebow’s sprint:
Morosi reported that the 60-yard dash was officially 6.65 seconds, which would make Tebow an “above-average runner” based on MLB scouting standards.
However, other scouts in attendance didn’t come away as impressed, according to Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller:
After showing off his speed, Tebow moved to the outfield—where he struggled a bit more on throws out of right field.
According to Miller, one scout in attendance graded Tebow’s throwing a 40 on the scouting scale that ranges from 20-80, while another handed out a lackluster mark of 30.
MLB on Twitter posted several photos of Tebow in action during the fielding portion of the program:
The highlight of the afternoon, though, was Tebow’s performance at the plate.
Although he went just 1-for-5 with a single and walk against veteran pitcher Chad Smith, per Morosi, Tebow was able to rebound and finish with a rock-solid day at the dish.
The former Florida Gators standout, who squared off against both Smith and David Aardsma, finished 8-for-19 with two doubles and three strikeouts.
Tebow also mashed several pitches over the outfield wall during batting practice, as MLB on Twitter documented:
Scout Media’s Taylor Blake Ward snapped a photo that displayed just how impressive Tebow’s power was:
“I thought he was OK. Better than I expected, to be honest,” an anonymous MLB scout told USA Today‘s Josh Peter. “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].”
As all of the scouts’ observations suggest, Tebow appeared a bit raw in certain phases of the game. Then again, that should have been expected since he hadn’t been on a diamond like he was Tuesday since turning his attention to football.
But now that he’s completed his workout, Tebow can focus on fine-tuning his game as he continues to look for a shot in the big leagues.
When asked whether or not the door was closed on football, Tebow replied, “oh yeah,” per Nate Davis of USA Today.
“I want to be someone to pursue what I believe in, what I’m passionate about,” Tebow said, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick. “A lot of people will say, ‘But what if you fail? What if you don’t make it?’ Guess what, I don’t have to live with regret. I did everything I could. I pushed it.
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