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The 29-year-old left-handed pitcher jumped high into the air with his feet spread apart, landed on the front of the mound and slapped the grass with his left hand while briefly dropping to one knee. After the emphatic celebration, Yan stood straight up with his feet together and raised both arms above his head.
“Honestly, I was really excited. I was also a little nervous,” Yan said through a translator.
Yan’s viral moment came after pinch-hitter Angel Martínez faced him as the opening batter of the Guardians’ sixth inning. Martínez took an 88.7 mph slider for a called third strike, giving Yan his first strikeout in the major leagues.
“Once I had him with two strikes I said, you know what, I’m going to throw that slider,” Yan said. “And if I freeze him, which is exactly what I did, I celebrated accordingly.”
The celebration was already a trademark move for Yan, who performed the same reaction after striking out a batter during a Mets spring training game earlier this year.
After Martínez’s strikeout, the Guardians created a difficult situation by loading the bases with two singles and a walk. However, Yan escaped the inning without allowing a run, recording his second strikeout before forcing an inning-ending grounder.
“Once I was able to get out of the inning, I said, you know, I can finally breathe right here,” Yan said.
Mets interim manager Andy Green praised the rookie’s performance and his ability to handle the pressure of his debut appearance.
“It’s real stuff. It’s really impressive. To get out of a bases-loaded jam, get your first punchout, just excited for him. He deserves that,” Green said.
Yan continued his energetic celebration after the inning ended, bounding off the mound and repeatedly slapping his hand against his glove. Cleveland fans booed as Yan walked toward the dugout with the Mets leading 4-3.
His dramatic first strikeout and confident celebration turned his major league debut into a memorable moment during the Mets’ victory in Cleveland.
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