The New York Yankees have a litany of questions swirling through spring training: When will Giancarlo Stanton be back? Who will lock down the starting third base job? How will top prospect Jasson Dominguez perform in his return?
But perhaps one of the most pressing concerns: Who will be backing up Austin Wells behind the plate in 2025?
ESPN’s Jorge Castillo reports the Yankees find themselves surprisingly thin in the catching department after trading away six catchers since the end of the 2023 season. During the offseason, they shipped Carlos Narvaez to the Boston Red Sox and sent former All-Star Jose Trevino to the Cincinnati Reds.
They could turn to Ben Rice, though he logged just one solitary inning behind home plate as a rookie last season. But the more intriguing option might be a former Uber driver and high school substitute teacher stepping into the Bronx spotlight.
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Say hello to 29-year-old journeyman catcher J.C. Escarra
Castillo reports that Escarra, who quietly impressed with New York’s Double-A and Triple-A affiliates last season, could legitimately break camp with the big league club.
The Florida native’s path to the pinstripes has been anything but conventional. Originally a 15th-round selection by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2017 MLB Draft, Escarra climbed as high as their Triple-A team in Norfolk but never received the coveted call to the majors.
After his Orioles stint concluded, Escarra pivoted to independent baseball, grinding through two seasons in 2022 and 2023 before the Yankees came calling. His performance across Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2024 turned heads, as he slashed .261/.355/.434 with 12 home runs, 32 doubles, 77 runs scored, and 64 RBI.
Despite eight professional seasons on his résumé, Escarra has yet to make his MLB debut. But for the former rideshare driver who once shuttled passengers to make ends meet between baseball seasons, 2025 could finally be the year he completes his improbable journey to the big leagues.