Jefry Yan has been jumping off mounds in minor-league parks for years. On Aug. 5 at Progressive Field in Cleveland, he finally got to do it in the majors.
Yan entered in the sixth inning of a one-run New York Mets lead and worked out of a frame that included two hits and a walk, ending the inning with two strikeouts and a ground ball. The Mets held on to beat the Guardians 6-5 in 10 innings.
His first punchout was Angel Martínez. Yan described the approach directly postgame through interpreter Alan Suriel. "I went out to attack him," Yan said. "Once I have two strikes, I was going to throw that slider, and if I freeze him, which is exactly what I did, I celebrate it accordingly." The celebration — a leap off the mound that Yan has executed dozens of times in affiliated and independent ball — came right on cue.
Martínez, who has played alongside Yan in the Dominican Winter League, was not bothered. "That's his game," Martínez said. "I'm just really happy for him that he was able to get this far, and I wish the best of luck for him."
Yan's second strikeout, recorded against Chase DeLauter on a check swing, triggered a sharper reaction. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt argued the call and was ejected quickly. Yan then got Jo Adell to ground out to end the inning, sliding into an ecstatic Mets dugout as Cleveland fans rained down boos.
Yan had a clear answer for the crowd. "They can do what they want. They're paying for their ticket," he said. "I'm in my zone, and I'm going to enjoy my game the way I want to." Even Vogt, despite the ejection, acknowledged there was nothing wrong with the approach. "Everybody's got their own style," the Guardians manager said.
The energy was not lost on the Mets' own clubhouse. Starter Christian Scott said the sight of Yan finishing the inning and charging back to the bench was different from anything he had seen. "That's something else, isn't it?" Scott said. "It brings a little life to it." Interim manager Andy Green was asked how the dugout felt after Yan completed the sixth. "Jumpin'," Green said.
The backstory behind that one inning is as striking as the celebration itself. Yan was signed at 16 out of the Dominican Republic by the Los Angeles Angels and made his pro debut in 2014. On New Year's Day 2016, he underwent Tommy John surgery — the elbow reconstruction procedure that typically costs a pitcher 12 to 18 months. The Angels released him, and Yan did not appear in a professional league again for five full years.
During that gap, Yan worked construction jobs and drove deliveries in Arizona to support himself while maintaining his baseball training. He said he liked roofing work but drew the line at hauling large appliances. By 2021, he was 24 years old and effectively starting his career over.
The Miami Marlins signed Yan back into affiliated baseball in 2021. It was in Double-A with Miami that the leaping strikeout celebrations first started appearing in viral clips online. He spent three seasons in the Marlins organization accumulating strikeouts and social media views in roughly equal measure. In 2024 he pitched for the Seibu Lions in Japan, adding international experience before earning the Mets opportunity.
New York traded significant bullpen depth at the July deadline and currently sits last in its division. Yan's arrival addresses the energy deficit as much as the innings deficit. A pitcher who has waited 12 years since his professional debut for a big-league moment, worked construction in between, and still comes off the mound like his cleats are on fire is exactly the kind of character a last-place team needs heading into a rebuild.
The Cleveland fans did not appreciate it. Yan made clear that was not his concern.
