The New York Mets promoted left-handed pitcher Jefry Yan on Monday, according to The Athletic‘s Tim Britton, following their aggressive trade deadline purge.
Yan throws a sinker that regularly reaches 99 to 101 mphâborderline plus-plus velocity for a relieverâand owns a slider that generates whiff rates near 61 percent in minor league samples. At 29, he gets his first major league shot after spending five years away from organized baseball entirely.
The Mets dismantled their roster in the hours before the 6 p.m. ET trade deadline, dispatching eight major leaguers to contenders and rebuilding teams. Freddy Peralta went to Tampa, and reliever A.J. Minter was shipped to Minnesota. A parade of arms including Clay Holmes, Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, and Huascar Brazobán followed in the overhaul, according to MLB.com. The sell-off left New York’s pitching staff in tatters and created the opening for Yan’s unexpected elevation from Triple-A Syracuse.
Yan’s path to this moment resembled a Horatio Alger story more than a traditional prospect arc. The Dominican native signed with the Los Angeles Angels as an international free agent in 2013, pitching briefly in the Dominican Summer League in 2014 and 2015. Tommy John surgery in 2016 derailed him completely, and the Angels released him in 2017. His professional career appeared finished at 20.
Five Years Away, Then a Return
Yan vanished from organized baseball for five years. During that stretch from roughly 2017 through 2020 he worked outside the game entirely in such jobs as roofing, landscaping, delivery work in Arizona while continuing to pitch in Sunday leagues and amateur circuits.
In April 2021, the Miami Marlins discovered him in Arizona pitching in men’s leagues, according to MLB Trade Rumors. He spent three seasons in the Marlins’ organization as a high-strikeout relief prospect, then pitched for Japan’s Saitama Seibu Lions in 2024. A stint with Colorado’s Triple-A affiliate in 2025 ended in a midseason release, but the Mets signed him to a minor league contract that August.
This season, in 35 relief appearances split between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse, Yan posted a 2-2 record with a 3.24 ERA, 77 strikeouts, and a 15.8 percent walk rate across 41.2 innings. His strikeout rate hovered near 43.5 percentâelite company for relievers. At Syracuse alone, he went 2-1 with a 2.40 ERA, 32 strikeouts, and only 10 walks in 15 innings, showcasing the command improvement the Mets wanted to see.
The Velocity Surge and Cleveland Awaits
Yan’s appeal centers on elite stuff offset by control issues. His four-seam fastball averages 97 to 98 mph and has touched 101 mph in recent outings. His slider at around 86 mph has become a weapon, generating 61 percent whiff rates at Triple-A. A changeup at 88 to 89 mph completes an arsenal built on velocity and deception.
After the Mets added him to their 40-man roster on July 2 to protect him from an opt-out clause, the deadline deals opened the door. Yan is expected to make his MLB debut in the series at Cleveland that begins Tuesday joining the active roster as New York faces the Guardians. He won’t single-handedly repair the New York pitching staff gutted at the deadline. But for a pitcher who nearly lost this career to injury and five years of absence, the call to the majors represents something rarer than a roster spot.
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