Ex-MLB pitcher gives his take on Mets reliever Jefry Yan's wild strikeout split celebration

Former major league pitcher Collin Balester discusses his take on Mets pitcher Jefry Yan's wild strikeout celebration that has been raising eyebrows around baseball.

Few sports are as steeped in tradition as baseball, and that's why it really raises some eyebrows when someone comes along and does something wildly untraditional.

Y'know, like what is basically a James Brown split after every strikeout.

That's why Mets reliever Jefry Yan has got the people talking, and why we here at OutKick reached out to former Big League pitcher Collin Balester to get his perspective on the unorthodox punch-out celebration.

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"I mean, there's guys that teeter down that line, that do a little celebration here and there," Balester said, before noting that big celebrations are common in winter leagues in Mexico and Yan's native Dominican Republic. "I don't think I've ever seen a guy jump ten feet in the air."

Balester — who played for the Nationals, Tigers and Reds — also noted that a celebration like Yan's comes with an injury concern.

Mets pitcher Jefry Yan's interesting celebration has been raising some eyebrows around baseball. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

"At the end of the day, if I was the team, I would be a little nervous about him blowing out his knee jumping up like that," he said. "Over time, throwing they say is bad, but I think jumping up and landing on your knee like that and doing the moonwalk up the mound, I would probably try to nip that."

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Which is why he says he was so surprised to see the 29-year-old bring the habit with him to the Majors.

"I said I don't