Laura Albanese: Mets' Jefry Yan jumping at opportunity to lead club's ragtag bullpen

CLEVELAND – Jefry Yan celebrated in his own way, and the rest of the Nametag Crew did, too.

Yan, one in the group of mostly unknown relievers called up Tuesday, struck out the first batter he faced in the sixth inning Wednesday. It wasn’t with the 100-mph fastball that got him to the big leagues after a 12-year sojourn that saw him flit in and out of baseball - one that culminated with him making major-league debut in the Mets' 6-5, 10-inning win over the Guardians at Progressive Field. It was, instead, on an 88.7-mph slider that skirted toward the outside corner.

But though there were two more outs left to get, Yan didn’t let that quash his fervor. He jumped in the air, like he often does after strikeouts, did a midair split, and slapped the ground.

He then allowed the next three batters to reach, but that, too, didn’t stop him. He struck out Chase DeLauter – a check swing meaning Yan's celebration was abbreviated – and got the third out on a force out, sliding to the ground on one knee and pumping his fist, having at that point protected a 4-3 lead.

It may seem like too much, but it’s actually exactly what these Mets need. Because Yan doesn’t mind celebrating the little things. And he doesn’t mind being booed – as Guardians fans did. He just wants to compete, and frankly, the Mets could use a little joy and a lot of edge.

“That was awesome,” said Christian Scott, who started, allowing three runs in five innings. “The energy that he brings was something that we need…He’s got electric stuff too, so the celebration is one thing, but he’s also coming in here and throwing 100.”

Indeed, when Yan made it back to the dugout, his teammates – so morose for so long – were celebrating with him. It echoed Tuesday’s win, when they all collectively pulled together for reliever Nate Lavender, finally making his major-league debut after toiling through two arm injuries.

Electric FACTORY ⚡️

Jefry Yan with his first career strikeout! 👏@CocaCola | #LGM pic.twitter.com/l3tMO1p5ES

— New York Mets (@Mets) August 6, 2026

Nothing is going to save this Mets season - and it's certainly not going to be a ragtag crew of relievers called up after they traded away some of their bullpen assets. But this collection has something to play for, and as the team tries to fend off the stench of failure, that’s a powerful tool. Wednesday, with Devin Williams out due to what interim manager Andy Green termed “arm fatigue” (the Mets do not believe it to be a serious issue), they tapped their anonymous relievers against a pesky Guardians team trying to stay in a wild card spot.

After Scott, they used Yan, Dendiel Nunez, who was a key reliever in 2024 but underwent Tommy John surgery in 2025, a career journeyman minor leaguer in Chayce McDermott, and Daniel Duarte, now with his fifth major-league organization. They pitched five innings, allowing two runs, none earned, with three walks and six strikeouts.

“The whole ‘pen was unbelievable,” Green said. “There are a lot of guys trying to show they belong pitching really well.”

After Yan’s inning, the dugout was “jumping,” Green quipped.

As for the boos: “They can do whatever they want,” Yan, 29, said via interpreter. “They’re paying their tickets. If they want to yell at me, if they want to boo me, they can do whatever they want. I’m in my zone and I’m going to enjoy my game any way that I want to.”

The real reward is when he gets back to the dugout, anyway. “When I go into that dugout, the players feed off of me and it also gives them that motivation to go out there and score more runs,” he said. “We all feed off of that energy.”

And indeed, the Mets showed a scrappiness that has often been missing this year. The Guardians went up 5-4 after scoring two unearned runs off Nunez in the seventh, but the Mets bounded back when, with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth, A.J. Ewing hit a chopper that was ruled an error but likely should have gone for a run-scoring infield hit. They won it in the 10th, after Bo Bichette’s RBI single.

When Duarte closed it out, earning his second major-league save, it was Yan bounding out of the dugout first, fully jubilant.

Yan has the first strikeout ball, by the way, and he’s going to put it on display.

“I’m going to enjoy that one as if it’s my last one,” he said.

That’s really what this is about. It’s an ode to celebrating the small victories, and in finding value in all of them – even if it’s the first strikeout in the inning. There are no better people to teach this lesson than a group of men whose every pitch might be their last – and are fighting for their lives to make sure it’s not so.