Terry Francona: Michael Jordan Would Have Made Majors 'With 1500 At-Bats'

A good portion of the seventh episode of The Last Dance covers Michael Jordan's brief stint as a minor league baseball player. After winning his third consecutive NBA championship, Jordan famously hung up his sneakers to try his hand at baseball. After one sub-par season playing at double-A with the Birmingham Barons, Jordan returned to the hardcourt.

Had His Airness stuck it out, however, perhaps his determination and natural athletic gifts could have gotten him to the big leagues. That's what two-time World Series champion manager Terry Francona thinks, at least.

"With 1500 at-bats, he would've found a way to get into the major leagues," Francona, who managed Jordan on the Barons, said in the seventh installment of The Last Dance. 

In 127 games during the 1994 season, Jordan batted .202/.289/.266, with three home runs and 30 stolen bases in 48 attempts. He struck out 114 times in 497 plate appearances. Former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow is a career .223/.299/.338 hitter, with 18 home runs in 287 games. Tebow struggled after reaching triple-A in 2019, batting .163/.240/.255 in 77 games.

One of Jordan's primary rivals in the NBA—Boston Celtics guard Danny Ainge—also tried his hand at both sports, enjoying much more success at the big-league level. Ainge played with the Toronto Blue Jays for three seasons from 1979-81, batting .220/.264/.269 while playing second base, third base and the outfield.

Though Jordan's baseball stats pale in comparison to Ainge's, Jordan will surely take his six NBA titles over a cup of coffee in the major leagues.