Minor League Baseball

Colorado Rockies' Jefry Yan Goes Viral For Over-the-Top Strikeout Celebrations

Relief pitcher Jefry Yan inked a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies in December, so he is making sure to enjoy himself down at spring training.
Sam Connon|
Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Jefry Yan (67) as shot during MLB Media Day at Salt River Fields.
Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Jefry Yan (67) as shot during MLB Media Day at Salt River Fields. | Allan Henry-Imagn Images

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Colorado RockiesMiami MarlinsChicago White Sox

Jefry Yan, a 28-year-old reliever who has never pitched an MLB inning, is far from the biggest box office draw on the Colorado Rockies' roster.

Just don't tell that to Yan.

The Rockies inked Yan to a minor league contract in December, inviting him to spring training as part of the deal. He had spent the previous season in Japan, and the three before that buried in the Miami Marlins' farm system.

The southpaw was out of affiliated baseball entirely from 2016 to 2020.

Yan had already made a few spring training appearances with the Marlins in 2023, but he was completely shot out of a cannon once he found himself back in the spotlight in 2025.

The Rockies brought Yan in for the top of the seventh inning of their Cactus League showdown with the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. He faced four batters in his lone inning of action, walking one and striking out the other three.

Yan didn't hide his emotions when he recorded his punchouts, either. He leapt into the air, did a split, shot finger guns, slammed the ground and rung up opponents in celebration, much to the pleasure of fans in the stadium and watching at home.

Yan's over-the-top celebrations aren't anything new. He did the same when he was part of the Marlins' organization, as well as when he was playing in the Dominican Winter League earlier this offseason.

Across 37 outings with the Saitama Seibu Lions last year, Yan posted a 5.58 ERA, 1.663 WHIP and 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings. He had a 4.89 ERA in 87 total appearances between Double-A and Triple-A the prior two seasons.

That production suggests that Yan is a long shot to make the Rockies' Opening Day roster. And yet, he is quickly becoming a fan favorite in Colorado, all while putting up solid numbers in Cactus League play.

Related MiLB Stories

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and other "On SI'' baseball sites. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for “UCLA on SI’’ and won awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for “New England Patriots on SI’’ and was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Follow Sam on Twitter @SamConnon.

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