Tebow has tools, but lots of ground to make up

Tim Tebow has a pair of intriguing tools in his raw left-handed power and his speed, and no one doubts his competitive makeup or his work ethic. While it’s a long shot that he’ll play in the big leagues after signing with the Mets on Thursday, it’s a low-cost investment that comes with no downside.

After signing for $100,000 as a undrafted free agent, the 29-year-old former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner will begin his professional baseball career with three weeks at the Mets’ instructional league camp, starting Sept. 18. Scouts with three clubs that had varying degrees of interest in signing Tebow expressed similar viewpoints about his strengths and weaknesses.

All three were on hand for Tebow’s Aug. 30 workout at the University of Southern California, which was attended by 28 of the 30 big league clubs. He made a positive impression with his chiseled 6-foot-3, 255-pound physique, his speed in the 60-yard dash (a shade over 6.7 seconds) and the power display he put on in batting practice.

“He’s a big, strong athletic guy who has great makeup,” a pro scout with a National League team said. “Those are qualities we look for in any player, whether they’re 18 or 29. I saw big raw power. It’s a strength-based swing, but he’s got above-average bat speed. It’s just about seeing movement and the changing of speeds, and all that comes with at-bats. When he made contact, the ball jumped off his bat.

“It’s going to be a tough thing, a big hill to climb. He’s got to hurry up and get his at-bats. It’s kind of like a crash …

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