But the former football player’s actual baseball ability, as one unnamed scout told ESPN after the workout, “has a long way to go.”

Another scout was less generous. The anonymous source told USA TODAY the tryout “was a complete waste of time. It was like watching an actor trying to portray a baseball player.” The scout added, “He tried. He tried. That’s the best I can say. He is crazy strong, and could run well in one direction, but that’s it. He only had one good throw of all his throws.’’

At the plate, Tebow struggled to make contact, though he did crush one fastball well out of the park. In the field, ESPN reported, he “looked mechanical at times, had a misstep or two with his footwork, and showed a throwing arm that one scout gave a 40 grade.” (On baseball’s 20 to 80 scouting scale, with 80 being the highest, baseball website Fangraphs says 50 is the major league average). Still, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick wrote, “A few big league teams talked privately with Tebow after the workout, and he seems unlikely to have trouble finding an organization willing to give a chance to a celebrity with clear baseball ability, however rudimentary.” Tebow hasn’t played organized baseball since high school.