An electric K celly paves way for Leones' LIDOM title

The Leones del Escogido clinched their second straight LIDOM championship on Tuesday night. Somehow, the biggest moment of the night may have come well before the metaphorical ink was dry, because Leones left-hander Jefry Yan, who came in with two outs in the sixth, has an incredible dedicated strikeout celebration.

Lucky for everyone watching, Yan -- who faced one batter on the night, longtime big leaguer Eddie Rosario -- got one, and his excitement was show-stopping, to say the least.

This was, again, in the sixth inning, which makes you wonder how much air he might get in the bottom of the ninth. But this celebration isn’t new, and it actually comes with a story, as Yan told The Athletic during Spring Training in 2025.

“That celebration is because of my long journey,” said the now-29-year-old, who spent two seasons in the Angels’ system from 2014-15 before undergoing Tommy John surgery in late 2015, not knowing at the time that it would be another six years before he’d return to affiliated ball. He’s since spent three seasons in the Marlins’ system, one in Japan, and made 27 appearances in Triple-A with the Rockies last year.

The well-earned leap, although now a minor social media sensation, has still yet to make its Major League debut -- one more thing to (possibly) look forward to in 2026.