JC Escarra is set to report to the Águilas Cibaeñas of the Liga Dominicana de Béisbol Profesional this Friday. The Cuban-American catcher has some goals to accomplish this winter after a subpar season during which he ended the year in the minors.
Escarra was a feel good story in 2025 after making the Yankees big league roster coming out of Spring Training. The native of Miami went from being an Uber driver to being the backup catcher for the most storied franchise in MLB history. Although he has only hit .195 in his MLB career Escarra has not received a sizeable amount of at-bats, only garnering 380 trips to the plate over that span.
The talented backstop returns to a league where he was the batting champion during the 2024-25 season hitting a gaudy .363 in 35 games that year. Escarra is on a mission and looking to establish himself in big leagues next season with the Yankees or possibly another ballclub.
Your second playoff with the team. Tell me about the experience.
Amazing experience. This atmosphere and getting to do it with the Yankees jersey on. Happy to be here and ready for whatever my team needs.
You’re not on the roster, but what’s your. I mean, what’s your role with the team?
So my role on the team is just be prepared. Prepared for when my name is called. You know, not on the roster right now, but prepare like if I was. So, you know, nothing gets me by surprise, you know, once I’m in there.
What will you work on this offseason?Have they sent you anything to work on with the Águilas?
No, not yet. But, you know, it never changes. You know, keep learning behind the plate, learning how to work well with my pitchers and, you know, get more at-bats. That’s all really what it is.
What are your expectations for the winter this year?
To keep developing. As a catcher, as a baseball player, I feel like my best baseball is still to be played.