If you are not paying attention to the Colorado Rockies' minor league system, you should be. If you are not paying attention to minor leaguer Jeffrey Yan: You should be.
The 28-year-old Yan continues to go viral on social media for his emphatic strikeout celebration, which sees him jump up extremely high and land in a modified squat position on the mound. He then punches the batter out himself. You can see it below, as Yan is now playing for the Albuquerque Isotopes.
"You know Yan is going to celebrate a strikeout to end the ball game!"
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) April 3, 2025
Tag who you're hitting with the patented Jefry Yan (@ABQTopes) celly if you struck them out ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/lY2iHAXDke
We have to admit, it takes a good deal of athleticism to pull this off. A native of the Dominican Republic, Yan has had quite the career arc. He played on the Dominican Summer League for the Angels in 2014 and 2015 and then didn't play affiliated ball again until 2021. He got as high as Triple-A with the Miami Marlins in 2023 but then spent 2024 in Japan with Seibu.
He's back in the Rockies system right now, pitching to a 0.00 ERA in two appearances. He's stuck out four batters in 3.0 innings.
The Rockies finished with the worst record in the National League last season, so they figure to have room for someone like Yan at some point this season. However, the pitching has started off hot for Colorado, despite the 1-4 record entering play on Thursday.
The Isotopes are taking on Salt Lake on Thursday while the Rockies are batting Philadelphia. Albuquerque will spend next week on the road at Sugar Land (Houston Astros affiliate).
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