Tim Tebow's MLB Showcase Goes Better Than You Probably Expected

Minnesota Vikings fans may be hoping their team begs Tim Tebow back into a football uniform. But as of Wednesday afternoon, the Tebow show officially moved off the gridiron and onto the baseball diamond. At a showcase in Los Angeles, Tebow worked out for 42 Major League Baseball scouts, showing off his fielding, batting and athleticism in hopes of earning a shot at the big leagues.

After nearly a month of speculation, the results are in. Tebow's performance? Well, it wasn't as bad as you might have expected. The forecasted three-ring circus never showed up. Instead, Tebow turned in a serviceable performance that more or less justified his decision to pursue an MLB career.

At the same time, Tebow's MLB showcase didn't blow anyone away. He's no second coming of Bryce Harper, but his skill set showed enough promise that some scouts believe he'll be offered a minor-league deal, which is about all Tebow could have asked for.

Tebow got things started with a 60-yard sprint, showcasing his base-running speed and his ability to cover the outfield. His time was clocked between 6.6 and 6.8, which would put him slightly above average for an MLB outfielder. Overall, a fine performance that didn't blow anyone away, but it didn't hurt his MLB dreams -- if anything, it proved he could be adequate in the outfield.

Then came time to show off his throwing arm. This was not a strength for Tebow: His arm strength registered as below-average for an MLB player, and that weak arm could prove problematic in the outfield, even if he performs well in covering the field:

It was more of the same for Tebow's fielding, which many scouts rated as below average -- a blow to his hopes of playing a position in the field.

But it got better for the former Heisman winner. He put his power-hitting on display, even jacking a home run over the scoreboard and out of the park:

His performance at the plate showed plenty of room for improvement, particularly in terms of extra-base hits, his monster home run notwithstanding.

One of the pitchers who participated in the showcase, who is a former MLB pitcher himself, said that Wednesday's workout was the worst he's seen Tebow at the plate, and that in past workout sessions he has been extremely difficult to retire. That lip service may not be worth much, but it might convince scouts they'd like to see a larger sample size of what Tebow can do.

But even though he has room for improvement in hitting for contact, the power he displayed was a strong way for Tebow to end the workout -- and it made up for some shortcomings in other areas. Above-average slugging ability was ranked by some scouts as his strongest feature, and it might have served as the extra bit of incentive to roll the dice with a minor-league offer.

Overall, reviews were mixed, with the general consensus being that he showed decent skill without making a strong case for a MLB future. But that's the thing about chances: He's only looking for one. And of the 42 scouts present for his showcase, enough of them were impressed with the quarterback-turned-baseball prospect that it seems very possible he'll be offered a minor-league deal.

Tim Tebow to MLB? Not so fast. But AA seems well within reach.