New York Mets fans are captivated by Jefry Yan’s acrobatic celebration when he strikes out a batter. It has become a viral social media sensation. However, on Saturday, Yan’s exuberance got the better of him during the Mets’ exciting walk-off win over the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. In this instance, he began his celebration a bit prematurely, before the pitch was confirmed as a strike.
Jefry Yan made his first appearance at Citi Field to an enthusiastic crowd. With an 0-2 count and two outs in the ninth inning, Yan believed he had thrown a perfect fastball to end the frame by striking out Nasim Nuñez. Unfortunately for Yan, the home plate umpire saw differently. Yet, Yan was already in mid-air, celebrating. Realizing he had jumped too soon, Yan adjusted by tapping his hat to challenge the call, prompting an Automatic Ball-Strike (ABS) review.
“Now, that was funny,” remarked long-time Mets announcer Gary Cohen during the SNY broadcast.
Upon review, the umpire’s call stood—a ball, not a strike. The situation injected humor into the intense game. Keeping his composure, Yan continued to pitch, and just two pitches later, he earned the strikeout for real with a slider. This time, the celebration was timely and deserved.
When Yan secured the strikeout, the Mets trailed by one run heading into the bottom of the ninth. Needing at least one run to force extra innings, the Mets offense aimed for victory. Brett Baty drew a walk to lead off, and Jorge Polanco followed with a single, setting up the winning play. Francisco Alvarez’s double sent Baty home, tying the score, and bringing the winning run to third base.
The final heroics came from Francisco Lindor, who singled to drive in the winning run, leading to a victory celebration with everyone, especially Yan, joining the festivities. Yan achieved his first Major League Baseball win, having pitched a scoreless 1.2 innings.
Yan, a rookie at 29, started his remarkable year in the minors. It was during his time there that the baseball community first noticed his unique strikeout celebration. Now, this impressive display has become a regular feature in his first five MLB appearances for the Mets. Despite his enthusiasm, Yan might consider confirming calls with the umpire in future.
After the game, Yan, with the help of a translator, expressed feeling warmly welcomed during his first Citi Field outing. He struck out three batters and currently holds a 1.80 ERA.
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