Tim Tebow Makes Double-A All-Star Team

Tim Tebow is officially an All-Star.

The 30-year-old outfielder for the minor league Binghamton Rumble Ponies, a New York Mets affiliate, was named an All-Star for the Double-A Eastern League on Friday. Tebow ranks 35th in the Eastern League after batting .261/.335/.398 with five home runs in 67 games, according to the MLB website.

This is Tebow’s first time on an All-Star team since announcing that he would give up his NFL dreams to pursue the world of baseball. Tebow was a Heisman Trophy-winning college football star who played for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets before struggling to find a home in the NFL.

He surprised the world by revealing his baseball pursuits in 2016, but seems to be working his way up the ranks in the minor leagues. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said he had high expectations for Tebow to make it to the big leagues one day, according to MLB website reports.

While Newsday reported that Alderson said the Tebow “experiment” would not last forever, he also acknowledged the budding baseball hopeful’s progress in the sport. Tebow previously opened up about his baseball critics on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon earlier this year.

According to the budding MLB hopeful, Tebow said he is enjoying the process of trying to prove his critics wrong.

“Last year was my first year playing after 12 years off. So, huge transition, huge obstacle,” Tebow told Fallon earlier this year. “And, of course, no one thinks you can do it. But I love trying to prove people wrong, so I’m excited about the challenge.”

When the athlete first announced that he would be trying his hand at baseball, some questioned if it was a publicity stunt. However, Tebow has been vocal about his passion for baseball.

“This isn’t about publicity. It’s definitely not about money,” he previously said in an ABC News report. “I took a pay cut to do this. For me, you pursue what you love regardless of what else happens. If you fail or fall flat on your face, and that’s the worst thing that can happen, it’s okay.”

The former college football star and NFL player questioned why people did not approve of him shifting gears in his professional athletic career.

“When did pursuing what you love become such a bad thing,” he asked. “I’ll make all the sacrifices to be the best I can.”