Fresh off a fifth-place finish in the 2024 Caribbean Series with the Criollos de Caguas of the Liga de Beisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente, the primary professional baseball league in Puerto Rico, first baseman and catcher J.C. Escarra joined the New York Yankees in Tampa, Florida, for spring training.
The 29-year-old, born to Cuban immigrant parents, had an outside chance of making the Opening Day roster. Jose Trevino’s role as the starting catcher for the Yankees seemed finalized, with rookie Austin Wells as the backup. However, the lefty hitter, who started the season with Double-A Somerset, can also play first base and outfield.
Escarra won International League Player of the Week for his outstanding play from September 2-8 with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Yankees Triple-A affiliate. In a six-game series against the Syracuse Mets, Escarra went an insane 8-for-17 (.471 BA) with six home runs and 12 RBI, including a grand slam on Sunday. The Railriders won five of the six games in the series.
Escarra’s incredible week in Triple-A would usually warrant a front office to consider a promotion to Major League Baseball. It would be now if there were a time for Escarra to receive one. Since the Baltimore Orioles selected him in the 15th round of the 2017 MLB Draft, Escarra played in the American Association of Professional Baseball, Puerto Rican Winter League, Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, and the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico. He is yet to make his MLB debut.
“It gives a little more motivation,” Escarra told The Cuban Baseball Digest on his promotion from Somerset to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. “I feel like it’s a door that has opened for me and that I have to be thankful for another opportunity. This is an opportunity a lot of guys don’t get, so I am trying to make the most of it.”
Escarra added, “I can almost taste it,” when describing how close he is to making his MLB debut.
Escarra appeared as an MLB-ready player at the 2024 Caribbean Series at loanDepotPark in Miami, Florida, this past February for Puerto Rico. He spent the 2023-24 LBPRC season with the Leones de Ponce but joined the champions, the Criollos de Caguas, as a reinforcement for the tournament. World Baseball Network was on site for the Caribbean Series and could see his skills up close and personal. Escarra hit just .238 but stole two bases and struck out only thrice in 26 plate appearances.
Nobody expects Escarra to be able to hit the way he did last week for the RailRiders all the time. But if last week was a glimpse of what he’s capable of, he might see his name in the Yankees lineup card sooner than later.
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WBN MLB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb/
Photo Credit: JC Escarra of New York Yankees looks on in the third inning during to Spring Training Game Two between Diablos Rojos and New York Yankees at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu on March 25, 2024 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Jaime Lopez/Jam Media/Getty Images)
