Tim Tebow hits homer in first Double-A at-bat

April 6 (UPI) — Tim Tebow is off to a great start in Double-A ball this year, after starting off the season with a home run in his first at-bat.

The long ball came in the bottom of the first inning of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies’ 6-0 win against the Portland Sea Dogs Thursday at NYSEG Stadium in Binghamton, N.Y.

Tebow was the Rumble Ponies’ seventh batter of the game. He stepped in against Boston Red Sox pitching prospect Teddy Stankiewicz. The right-hander settled in against the former Heisman Trophy winner with runners on first and second base.

Tebow hacked at the first pitch, belting the offering to deep right center field for a 3-run homer. He finished the day 1-for-4 at the plate, with 3 RBIs and a strikeout.

Last season, Tebow hit .226 with eight home runs and 52 RBIs in 126 games for the Mets’ high Class-A affiliate. A team source told the New York Daily News this spring that Tebow could be promoted to the Mets’ big league squad as soon as Sept.

Tebow is making a tradition of hitting home runs in his first at-bat. In 2016, he went yard on the first pitch he saw while playing in his first game with the New York Mets’ instructional league team. He also hit a home run in his first at-bat with the Class-A Columbia fireflies on April 7, 2017.

“I’m excited to take the next step in my baseball career by playing for the Rumble Ponies,” Tebow said in his introductory news conference, according to the Rumble Ponies’ website. “I look forward to getting to play in front of the Binghamton fans and around the Eastern League.”

The Rumble Ponies face Portland again at 7:05 p.m. Friday in Binghamton.