The New York Mets traded away quite a few of their bullpen arms at the trade deadline and called up pitcher Jefry Yan to help fill the void in the bullpen.
Although Yan was making his MLB debut on Wednesday, he was already known by baseball fans online for his viral celebrations after strikeouts. Yan likes to jump in the air and celebrate following a strikeout. He went viral for doing so in the Dominican Winter League and during spring training.
When he picked up a strikeout against the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday, he did the signature celebration. Guardians fans booed Yan for his over-the-top celebration, which is not the biggest surprise given how baseball fans often react to showboating and celebration.
"They can do whatever they want," Yan said after the game 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 Mets signed Yan to a minor league deal last August. He has been in the minor leagues since 2014, and finally got to make his debut on Wednesday. He had a 3.13 ERA in the Dominican Winter League last season and had a 2.40 ERA in 14 Triple-A games this year.
The 29-year-old picked up two strikeouts in his debut, but also gave up two hits and issued a walk. The Mets are not going to make the postseason, so Yan could get some extended run in the bullpen to close out the season. If he performs well, the Mets could look to keep him around for next year.