New York Mets reliever Jefry Yan made a memorable Major League Baseball debut on Wednesday night, August 6, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. Called up earlier that week, the 29-year-old Dominican pitcher entered the game in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians.

Yan struck out the first batter he faced, Angel Martínez of the Guardians, and celebrated with a distinctive move: he jumped in the air and then smacked the ground. This celebration quickly captured the attention of the baseball world for its boldness, an act rarely seen in a Major League Baseball game.

The celebration was so striking that it prompted a reaction from Guardians player Jose Ramirez, who mocked Yan after the Guardians took the lead. Yan's charged mound demeanor following the strikeout suggested he was visibly fired up.

Coverage of the event noted that no one could have anticipated the intensity and style of Yan's celebration, emphasizing that "whatever you're envisioning in your mind, it won't come close to what actually transpired on the field."

Sources