TAMPA, Fla. -- J.C. Escarra has been one of the great stories of this spring, a few years removed from contemplating leaving baseball, then driving for Uber and working as a substitute teacher near his Miami-area home to keep the dream alive.
His next destination will be the Bronx. Yankees manager Aaron Boone informed Escarra that he is coming north with the team, breaking the news to the 29-year-old catcher after the club’s 8-7 Grapefruit League loss to the Phillies.
“You’re going to the big leagues,” Boone told Escarra in a video posted to the Yankees’ social media accounts. “You’ve earned it. What a journey, and it’s just getting started.”
Escarra, who went 1-for-3 with a run-scoring single on Saturday, said before the game that he was hoping to “hear some good news soon,” but “until I hear it from Boonie’s mouth, I’m not believing it.”
“I’m happy with the job I’ve done, and I’m not even talking about the numbers,” said Escarra, who is 16-for-48 (.333) this spring, with three homers and eight RBIs. “Just getting to be around the guys every day, around Boone and the coaching staff, and them seeing what type of player I am and what I can provide for the team.”
The Yankees seem primed to open the season with three left-handed hitting catchers on the roster, with Escarra in line to back up Austin Wells. Catcher/first baseman Ben Rice is also set to see significant playing time, likely at designated hitter with Giancarlo Stanton’s return date unknown.
Speaking before the decision was announced, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Escarra “has done a great job” in camp.
“He’s continued what he did last year and into winter ball, and now into Spring Training,” Cashman said.
Once a first baseman in the Orioles' organization, Escarra was released in April 2022, which set him on a winding path through the back roads of pro ball. Nicknamed the “Hialeah Cannon” for his strong throwing arm, Escarra went back to catching, which he’d done in college.
Escarra pursued stints in independent ball, Puerto Rico and Mexico to advance his career, taking on odd jobs to pay the bills with his wife, Jocelyn, a school teacher. The efforts paid off, producing a Minor League contract with the Yankees in January 2024.
Initially a third-string reserve, Escarra finished last season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he posted a .302/.403/.527 slash line in 52 games. He won a batting title in the Dominican Winter League, prompting his addition to the 40-man roster.
Escarra said friends and family have been tracking his progress this spring, and he also appreciates the fans who are supporting him from afar on social media.
“They just love my story; I’m sure a lot of people have been counted out at one time, or been through some tough times,” Escarra said. “It’s a cool, feel-good story. But at the same time, I want to show that I’m a prospect of some sort, I can help the team win and that I’m here to stay.”