Mets Add Pitcher Known for Viral Mound Celebrations

The New York Mets have selected pitcher Jefry Yan to their 40-man roster and optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse, the club announced Thursday.

New York signed Yan, 30, as a minor league free agent last offseason. He made two appearances during spring training and began the season at Double-A Binghamton, where in 26.2 innings (21 appearances) he has a 3.71 ERA to go with 45 strikeouts and 18 walks.

Known for his eccentric celebrations, Yan will fill one of the Mets’ two 40-man vacancies.

Yan Has Never Pitched in the Majors

It’s been a long road to this point for Yan. Originally signed out of the Dominican Republic by the Los Angeles Angels in 2013, Yan has spent parts of seven seasons in the minor leagues. His next big-league outing will be his first.

The Angels released Yan in 2017, a year following Tommy John surgery. Following five years out of affiliated baseball, he spent time with both the Miami Marlins and Colorado Rockies organizations, most recently recording a 7.28 ERA in 27 appearances (29.2 innings) with Triple-A Albuquerque last season. He was released by the Rockies in July 2025.

The left-hander also pitched in Japan, spending the 2024 season with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball. In 30.2 innings, Yan compiled a 5.58 ERA and 35 strikeouts.

Yan is Known for His Eccentric Celebrations

Yan has struggled with his command, as evidenced by his 24 walks over 33.1 innings between Double-A and Triple-A this season. However, he’s made up for some of those control issues with elite swing-and-miss stuff. He has 63 strikeouts this season and 392 strikeouts across 267.2 career innings, showing the ability to put batters away with a triple-digit fastball.

And he often celebrates those strikeouts in unique fashion, as he described to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

“They are already expecting the same thing from me: celebrating and doing my show,” he said. “As I told (batters): When you hit your home run, enjoy it, do what you want. For me, there is no problem.

“Now, when my moment comes, I am going to enjoy it, too.”

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