The New York Yankees welcome J.C. Escarra to the big leagues, documenting his emotional response to the news and the road it took to get there.
On March 23, the team posted a video of the moment the 29-year-old was notified that he made the 2025 roster as a backup catcher, after living paycheck to paycheck.
“You’ve done everything we could’ve expected. I mean, you’ve gotten better as a catcher, and you came in here and showed it.”
Boone went on to tease Escarra by describing how hard it is to make a decision with having “a lot of catching depth” on the team, before easing his nerves.
“Nah, you’re going to the big leagues,” he said.
Escarra responded: “Let’s go!”
Escarra, a former Florida International University player, worked part-time as an Uber driver and substitute teacher to make ends meet during his career in the New York Yankees’ minor league system.
In 2017, Escarra was a 15 round MLB draft pick by the Orioles, and despite being released in 2022, he refused to give up his baseball dream even adding food delivery, contractor work, and youth baseball coaching to his resume.
“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.”
Following his meeting with Boone, the Yankees went on to share the heartwarming moment he delivered the good news to his mother, reaffirming the hard work along the way was worth it.
“Hi mom, I just finished talking with Boone. We’re going to New York,“ he told his mother, teary eyed over the phone. “The dream came true!”
“I can’t believe it, my love!” she responded. “We’re going to New York. This is all so beautiful!”
“We did it,” he continued, visibly emotional.
The Yankees will kick off MLB’s 2025 Opening Day on March 27, as the first game to get underway during the regular season, when they host the Milwaukee Brewers at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
