Jumbo Shrimp alumnus Yan makes MLB debut for Mets
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Former Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp left-handed pitcher Jefry Yan made his major league debut on Wednesday for the New York Mets in their game at the Cleveland Guardians from Progressive Field. A 29-year-old from San Rafael de Yuma in the Dominican Republic, Yan worked a scoreless inning with
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Former Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp left-handed pitcher Jefry Yan made his major league debut on Wednesday for the New York Mets in their game at the Cleveland Guardians from Progressive Field.
A 29-year-old from San Rafael de Yuma in the Dominican Republic, Yan worked a scoreless inning with a pair of strikeouts in the Mets’ 6-5 win over the Guardians.
Originally signed in 2013 by the Los Angles Angels as an international free agent, Yan pitched for the DSL Angels in 2014 and 2015. He underwent Tommy John Surgery and missed the 2016 campaign before being released in 2017.
Yan left baseball and worked full-time for three years in construction before being discovered by the Miami Marlins in a men’s league game in Arizona. He signed a minor league contract with Miami on April 29, 2021 and reached Triple-A Jacksonville for the first time in 2023. He pitched in six games for the Jumbo Shrimp, striking out 11 in 6.0 innings.
The southpaw native elected free agency following the 2023 season and spent the 2024 campaign with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies and pitched in 27 games with Triple-A Albuquerque last season before getting released on July 20, 2025. He then joined the Mets on a minor league deal on August 1, 2025.
In 35 games between Triple-A Syracuse and Double-A Binghamton this season prior to his promotion to the major leagues on August 4, 2026, Yan went 2-2 with a 3.24 ERA, fanning 77 batters in 41.2 innings pitched.
Yan is the 11th Jacksonville alumnus to debut in the major leagues during the 2026 season, following infielder Deyvison De Los Santos (March 29, Marlins) and right-handers Matt Pushard (March 29, St. Louis Cardinals) and Josh Ekness (May 3, Marlins), catcher Joe Mack (May 4, Marlins), right-hander William Kempner (May 5, Marlins) and left-handers Dax Fulton (May 6, Marlins) and Robby Snelling (May 8, Marlins), right-handers Josh White (May 31, Marlins), Zach McCambley (June 3, Cincinnati Reds) and Woo-Suk Go (July 9, Minnesota Twins). A total of 1,067 players have played both for Jacksonville and in the major leagues. The history of Minor League Baseball in Jacksonville dates back to 1904.
ABOUT THE JUMBO SHRIMP: The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins and compete in the International League. The 2025 International League and Triple-A National Champions, the Jumbo Shrimp call VyStar Ballpark home for baseball but also a wide variety of additional community focused events with a goal of providing Affordable, Family, FUN to Northeast Florida. Winners of many marketing and sales awards and recognition since the team was rebranded prior to the 2017 season, the Jumbo Shrimp continually lead the state of Florida in attendance across all minor league professional sports organizations.