Translated: Yankees’ JC Escarra always goes outside mile

Tampa, Fla. – You can’t doubt JC Escarras.

Escarra is ready to make the Yankees opening day as a backup catcher. Not bad for a 29-year-old who was the first to move in by Baltimore in 2017 and was switched to catch in 2022.

Escarra’s journey through the small leagues and independent leagues, which he – he hopes – also opens an unusual turn in the Bronx on Thursday.

As in “Turn yourself here, driver.”

You see that Escarra was a free agent in the 2022 season. So he supported himself and his family who did strange jobs, including a four-month stay as a Uber driver in his hometown Miami.

“It was quite uncomfortable because I usually am the one in the back seat of an overshaft in my own world and only tried to get from A to B,” said Escarra to Newsday. “And now I had accidental people in my personal car that I use every day of my life. I had to take care of my family. I had to pay my mortgage. I made a little superfluous. I replaced the teaching, lessons side by side. I would walk around and measure that one of my friends who go to the floors.

And now when he makes it to the majors? Escarra admits that he has already thought of playing his unique background.

“I already have a few things with myself and my team that we want to do,” he said. “Maybe you make a commercial with Uber. That would be pretty cool. I have some ideas in my head, probably how I drive and say the passenger:” We are at your goal. “And then I get out of the car with my Yankee uniform.”

Escarra is not the only New York baseball backstop that has a story in a different industry.

According to MLB.com Hayden Senger, Hayden Senger, the catcher of Mets Minor-League, spent the last two off-off-off-off-off-off-off-off-offostone in a whole food near his house in the Nashville region. The 27-year-old has a good chance to make the Mets after Francisco Alvarez broke a bone in his hand during the spring training.

“I needed the money,” Senger told MLB.com to his supermarket stands.

When these two boys enter a game and come into a game, they will make their debuts for major League.

For Escarra it would be the highlight of a new trip that started after it was released by Orioles in April 2022.

Escarra signed as a catcher for the independent monarchs in Kansas City. He played in the Mexican league, in the winter ball in Puerto Rico and for the Independent Atlantic League of Gastonia (NC) Honey Hunters, where he attracted Yankees Pro Scout Raul Gonzalez’s attention.

“This is the first time that I knew about the Yankees,” said Escarra. “The scout only asked me regular questions of how I feel. But only a year later when I signed the Yankees. They followed my trip in a very independent ball, Mexico, winter ball, everything.”

Escarra, a left Hitter, started in 2024 with Double-A Somerset. He only met .234 there, but actually improved at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Bar and scored with eight Homeruns and an ops of 0.930 .302 .302.

Escarra scored in the Dominican Winter League .363 and won the attack title. The Yankees promoted him to the 40-man squad and took his place with a long list of inexperienced catchers who won the backup job behind Austin Wells in spring training.

Escarra stood up and not because of his driving skills.

“It’s funny,” said Pitcher Clarke Schmidt. “Everyone has such different trips in this game whether they get older, they debut younger, wherever the game leads. This game is somehow crazy. He has a very unique way and a very cool story.

“You can recognize if you are exposed to this adversity, it keeps you humble. But there is also a little optimism and excitement from him, and he has a good presence and is very positive. As a pitcher if you have a catcher who fills you with confidence and tell you how good your things look.

“I think he’ll have a really good career. I think this is the beginning of a very special career for him.”

It is not yet official, but Escarras sizzling spring training (.342 with three homes and an operating room.

The big question: if that happens, how does he get to the stadium?

“It depends on where I live,” he said. “I don’t even know where I will live. When I’m in the city, probably in the U -Bahn. When I live somewhere else in an apartment, probably by car. Maybe from Uber. We will see.”

Anthony Rieber covers baseball and the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has been working on the Newsday since August 31, 1998 and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.