1st start, 1st hit! Former rideshare driver doubles for inspiring knock

NEW YORK – The universal appreciation for J.C. Escarra’s unique and winding path could be seen in the joyous reactions from the Yankees’ bench on Thursday night as the 29-year-old catcher raced for his first Major League hit, a seventh-inning double in the club’s 9-7 victory over the D-backs at Yankee Stadium.

“We were all excited. We’re all pulling for that guy; we know his story,” said Yankees captain Aaron Judge. “But besides that, just the type of person he is, to battle through that type of adversity. He’s come in here every single day with a smile on his face, trying to make guys better, trying to push guys all the way in Spring Training.

“It’s fun to watch and it’s fun to be around, because he just brings a different energy into this clubhouse, and it’s contagious.”

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Making his first Major League start behind the plate, Escarra had been hitless in his first five at-bats of the season before ripping a ball down the right-field line facing left-hander Jalen Beeks. With one foot anchored on second base, Escarra beamed, pumping his right fist wildly as he eyed his teammates in the dugout.

“I got a little too excited at second base; just enjoying the moment – close game, big hit,” Escarra said. “Before that at-bat, I’m like, ‘Man, I’m pressing. I’m trying to do too much. Let me just focus in and just have fun, not try to do too much.’ It’s funny how baseball works; when you don’t try to do too much, that’s when things come.”

A spring standout who won the James P. Dawson Award as the top rookie in Yankees camp, Escarra earned a spot on the club’s roster by exhibiting a lively bat and excellent skills behind the plate. He said he plans to give the baseball from his first hit to his father, a long-time Yankees fan who lives in Yonkers, N.Y.

“He’s been through a lot, so he deserves that ball,” Escarra said. “He’s going to be happy.”

It is a gift that seemed unlikely just a few years ago. Drafted in 2017 as a catcher but converted into a first baseman during his time in the Orioles’ organization, Escarra was released by Baltimore in April ‘22, but he was unwilling to give up on his dream.

To make ends meet, Escarra pursued numerous odd jobs, picking up fares as an Uber driver and handling classes as a substitute teacher near his Miami-area home.

“I had just gotten married and bought an apartment with my wife [Jocelyn],” Escarra said this spring. “So now I’ve got a mortgage to pay and a wife to provide for. I had to make money somehow, and no one was going to take away my home from me. I knew I had to make those payments, so I was doing anything it took.”

Escarra scored on-field opportunities with independent league teams, in the Mexican League and in Puerto Rico, stops where he hit well and caught well. The Yankees’ pro scouting department was paying attention, signing Escarra to a Minor League contract in January 2024.

Initially envisioned as organizational depth, Escarra finished last season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he posted a .302/.403/.527 slash line in 52 games. He then won a batting title in the Dominican Winter League, prompting his addition to the 40-man roster.

“Gosh, he’s been through so much in his career,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “He strikes me as someone that really loves playing this game. He loves all that goes into it. I think he’s someone that is going to play a big role for us.”

Yankees right-hander Carlos Carrasco said Escarra was “unbelievable” behind the plate on Thursday, pleased with a partnership that produced the veteran’s first victory in pinstripes.

“For him to go out there and get his first knock and first win behind the plate, especially with a veteran pitcher like Carrasco, that’s a tough ask,” Judge said. “It’s a veteran, a guy who knows what he wants to do, and he’s a rookie just coming up. But I think that chemistry they built started in Spring Training and went into that first start.”