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Much like famed reggae artist Marcia Griffiths, Mets reliever Jefry Yan feels like jumping.
New York has had plenty of eye-catching athletes bear its colors in recent years, from Juan Soto to Edwin Diaz. Few have displayed the plyometrics quite like Yan, a gymnastic of sorts from the mound — who happens to be armed with one of the hardest fastballs in the league.
Yan made his big-league debut in the Mets' 6-5 win over the Guardians on Aug. 5. He shined from his post atop the hill, striking out two while getting out of a bases-loaded jam in one inning of work. Suffice to say, Yan's outing — and the depth-defying stunts that accompanied it — had the baseball world talking.
With that, here's what you need to know about Yan, the latest showman to take hold of the spotlight in the Big Apple.
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Who is Jefry Yan?
Yan is a 29-year old relief pitcher for the Mets who made his MLB debut in Aug. 2026, 13 years after first emerging as a big league prospect while starring in the Dominican Summer League. A San Rafael del Yuma, Dominican Republic native, Yan's baseball journey has been anything but traditional. At 16, Yan signed with the Angels as an international free agent. At 19, he underwent Tommy John surgery. Yan was summarily released by Los Angeles following his operation. He proceeded to find work as a construction worker and delivery man in Arizona, putting his baseball dreams on ice for five years.
Then, an opportunity; Yan signed a minor-league deal with the Marlins in 2021. The story goes that Miami discovered him while he was plying his trade for a men's league in his adopted home state of Arziona.
Yan quickly surged up the minors, climbing to Double-A. He spent three years in the Marlins' system before departing to join NPB's Seipu Lions in Japan. Yan toiled during his lone season in Saitama, posting a 5.58 ERA in 30.2 innings. He returned stateside after the season, joining the Rockies. After being released by Colorado, Yan washed ashore in New York. The lanky hurler enjoyed a splendid run with the Mets' Triple-A affiliate, compiling a 2.40 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 15 innings. Soon, the Mets came knocking, promoting him to the bigs ahead of their series with the Guardians.
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Jefry Yan strikeout celebration videos
Yan is known for a lot of things. His fastball is fervent, racing past batters at velocities surpassing 100 mph. His changeup is similarly difficult to read, as evidenced by his first career strikeout.
Yan's signature trait is his acrobatics, though. The Dominican side-winder adorns every K with a leap to the heavens. Sometimes, he kicks his legs out like a dancer. Other times, he focuses on vertical, rocketing himself up into the air while tucking his knees. He has even been seen firing off a fist pump or flailing his arms.
We need a front row seat to the Jefry Yan experience 🤣 pic.twitter.com/T637keQali
— MLB (@MLB) August 6, 2026Marlins LHP prospect Jefry Yan is animated after a strikeout in the Dominican Winter League. pic.twitter.com/YEDFS2N79k
— Prospect Dugout (@prospectdugout) November 3, 2023Either way, his celebration has become one of the most recognizable in baseball — even if it took him half a decade to pull off the choreography in a big-league game.
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Why Jefry Yan jumps after every strikeout
As Yan's velocity flourished — in 2022, The Athletic's Keith Law noted that Yan was throwing 91-92 when he signed with Miami — so too did his penchant for strikeouts.
So, he added a bit of flair to celebrate the occasion. Hitters have the bat flip, where they launch their cherished heirlooms skyward and hope to evade their glance before it comes cascading down. It's only right that Yan — a strikeout artist who posted a 50.8 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A — would have a maneuver to express his delight at sending a batter packing.
In the past, that might have been enough to make Yan a marked man, subject to scorn and vitriol from the so-called arbiters of baseball's unwritten edicts. Now, though? Yan's exploits are increasingly par for course. Baseball is a lot better for it, too.
“People have accepted largely that this is just a good-natured human who’s enjoying being on the field playing baseball,” said Mets interim manager Andy Green of Yan's leaps, per MLB.com. “It’s more personality than I think we’re all accustomed to seeing after a strikeout, but we didn’t have many Minor League teams take issue with him or his enthusiasm. I think they end up smiling at it if they’re not the one that’s getting punched out.”
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Where is Jefry Yan from?
Yan hails from San Rafael del Yuma, a coastal town located on the eastern-most part of the Dominican Republic. He's the latest in a lengthy list of pitching standouts to emerge from the Dominican Republic's shores, joining Jhoan Duran, Camilo Doval, Seranthony Dominguez and Abner Uribe as Dominican-born relievers to shine at MLB level.
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Jefry Yan celebration controversy
Not everyone is quite as enthused as Yan is when he embraces aerodynamics. Yan was made the subject of taunts when he took to the mound against the Guardians, with Jose Ramirez and Rhys Hoskins both mimicking Yan with the leap.
Jose Ramirez mocking Jefry Yan strikeout celebration in the Guardians dugout 💀 pic.twitter.com/8UF32Sl3Qk
— Punchoutpitch (@Punchoutpitch) August 6, 2026The Guardians dugout mimics Jefry Yan’s celebration https://t.co/KNdaqbN5F5 pic.twitter.com/rI5SjCan4o
— Mets'd Up Podcast (@MetsdUp) August 6, 2026Cleveland's crowd was similarly unconvinced by Yan's efforts, booing him relentlessly as he dealt from his pulpit.
The verdict is in. Opposing fans DO NOT like Jefry Yan 😂 pic.twitter.com/5iaGvgHUhu
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) August 6, 2026Yan seem unconcerned by his adversaries' verdicts postgame, though.
"They can do whatever they want," Yan said through an interpreter. "They're paying for tickets so if they want to yell at me or if they want to boo me, they can do whatever they want. I'm in my zone."
“The most important thing for me is to do my job, to focus on the hitter, attack the hitter, try to get ahead in the counts. Once I strike him out, that emotion or that celebration comes out on its own. It’s very important obviously to respect the hitter. But I also want to have fun and enjoy the game the way that I always have.”
Per Sarah Langs, Yan threw five pitches that surpassed 100.0 mph on Wednesday, the most for any New York pitcher this season. If he keeps on authoring up similar outings, there's a good chance you'll be seeing more leaps from the fireballer.
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