J.C. Escarra’s journey through professional baseball took an unexpected turn when he worked as a ride-share driver.
On Thursday, as he prepared for his potential major league debut, the 29-year-old catcher and infielder called for a ride to Yankee Stadium from his midtown Manhattan hotel.
“It was pretty cool. Got down there and there was an Uber Black luxury waiting for me. Felt pretty special,” he said. “I’ve never taken an Uber to Yankee Stadium, so it was cool to see the views, the bridge, Yankee Stadium from afar.”
Just two years ago, Escarra was out of baseball, but now he was wearing No. 25 for the New York Yankees, the defending AL champions.
“There was a time in my life that I thought I wasn’t going to be playing baseball no more. So to wake up this morning as a Major League Baseball player, especially for the New York Yankees, it means the world to me,” he said.
Escarra, who grew up in the Miami area, played youth ball with and against Nestor Cortes, the former Yankees pitcher now with the Brewers.
He was drafted by Baltimore in the 17th round of the 2017 draft and signed for a $125,000 bonus. By 2021, he had made it to Triple-A, but was released after spring training in 2022.
Escarra then played independent baseball with the Kansas City Monarchs in the American Association and also played winter ball in Puerto Rico with Leones de Ponce. That October, he got married and needed to figure out how to make a living.
Escarra drove for Uber for a short time, giving about 10 rides in his leased Lexus. From January to April 2023, he worked as a substitute teacher at Doral Academy Preparatory School, teaching art, music, and physical education.
“My favorite was P.E. because I got to be outside, shoot around and watch the guys practice baseball,” he said. “Let’s say I have a late period, like seventh period — class ends up at 3:30, the baseball team was already practicing.”
One of the players on that team, Adrian Santana, was drafted by Tampa Bay with the 31st overall pick in the 2023 draft.
“It was full of scouts coming to watch him, and since I was there already I would go one by one: `Hey, if you need a left-handed hitting catcher, I’m your guy,’” he said. “None of those guys ended up signing me.”
Escarra started 2023 with another independent team, Gastonia in the Atlantic League, then was sold to Mexico’s Toros de Tijuana in June. He was traded in July to Algodoneros de Unión Laguna. The Yankees signed him to a minor league contract in January 2024, and he began the season at Double-A Somerset before finishing at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Escarra had a strong spring training, hitting .302 with three homers and eight RBIs in 19 games. On Saturday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone called him into his office.
“This is difficult to have to do, because I know you put yourself in a really good position and you’ve done everything that we could have been expected,” Boone said gently. “You’ve gotten better as a catcher, you rake and you came in here and showed it. But, as you know, we have a lot of catching depth, as you know, so that’s what makes this hard.”
Boone paused and then told Escarra: “Nah, you’re going to the big leagues.”
Escarra laughed and clapped three times. He called his mom, told her the good news, and she screamed and cried in response.
When he walked into the fancy clubhouse for the first time on Thursday, he said, “I was floating on a cloud.”
While most players seek advice before their debut, Escarra gave some instead — to his driver.
“Yeah, of course,” he said with a smile.
