Jefry Yan, known for his strikeout celebrations, brings his flair to major-league stage
CLEVELAND — This was a big-league jump for joy.
Jefry Yan, famous for years online for his leaps celebrating strikeouts in the minor leagues, finally got to perform on the major-league stage Wednesday night, working an eventfully scoreless inning in the New York Mets’ contest with the Cleveland Guardians.
Yan worked around two hits and a walk to preserve a one-run New York lead in the sixth inning. Oh, and he struck out two Guardians along the way — capping each strikeout with his characteristic flair.
Jefry Yan records his first big-league strikeout (and celebration) against his first hitter.
— Tim Britton (he/him) (@timbritton.bsky.social) August 5, 2026 at 8:35 PM
Yan’s second strikeout, of Chase DeLauter on a check swing, prompted an argument from and swift ejection of Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt.
Yan’s story is remarkable. Signed as a 16-year-old by the Angels, he made his pro debut in 2014. After undergoing Tommy John surgery on New Year’s Day 2016, Yan didn’t pitch in a pro league again for five years, until he was a 24-year-old in 2021. In the intervening time, he fit his baseball training around full-time jobs as a construction worker or delivery man in Arizona. (He enjoyed roofing, he said, but not carrying refrigerators and other large appliances.)
Yan was signed back into affiliated baseball in 2021 by the Marlins, and it was in Double A with Miami that he started punctuating his punchouts plyometrically. The videos of Yan have gone viral many times over — and he’s been racking up more and more strikeouts in recent years.
After three years in the Marlins organization, he spent 2024 with the Seibu Lions in Japan and 2025 with the Rockies organization. The Mets signed him as a minor-league free agent this past winter, and he’s delivered his best minor-league season yet at age 29.
In stints with Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse, Yan has compiled a 3.24 ERA over 41 2/3 innings. He’s struck out 77 batters in that stretch, including over half of the hitters he faced with Syracuse.
“The stuff is there,” interim manager Andy Green said Tuesday. “It really just comes down to how often he gets that stuff in the zone. When he’s done that, he’s shown that he’s an incredibly unique and gifted left-handed pitcher — who jumps really high.”
“I never gave up,” Yan said through interpreter Alan Suriel on Tuesday upon his first promotion to the majors. “There was never the thought in my mind that I couldn’t make it. I continued to work, and now all that’s left is to get on the mound today and pitch in a major-league game.”
The Mets were not worried that Yan’s celebrations on the mound would cause any issues with the opposition.
“I worry far less (today) than 20 years ago,” Green said. “I think he has developed a reputation throughout the game that this isn’t showing up abody else and people have accepted largely that this is a good-natured human who’s enjoying being on the field playing baseball. We didn’t have many minor-league teams take issue with his enthusiasm. They end up smiling at it if they’re not the one getting punched out.”
“I’m going to continue to go out there the same way, to go out there with the same emotion to have fun as if I’m playing a kids’ game, like I always have,” Yan said. “I’m going to enjoy that first (strikeout), like it’s my first and last one. I’ve worked a long time for that moment.”
This story will be updated.