New York Yankees’ J.C. Escarra, left, reacts after hitting a home run during the eighth inning of the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the 海角社区官网Blue Jays, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
New York Yankees’ J.C. Escarra, right, reacts with Oswaldo Cabrera, left, after hitting a home run during the eighth inning of the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the 海角社区官网Blue Jays, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
Former Uber driver J.C. Escarra gives pitch a ride for first major league home run
NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 An Uber driver a little more than two years ago, J.C. Escarra gave a pitch a ride into Yankee Stadium’s bleachers for his first major league home run.
New York Yankees’ J.C. Escarra, left, reacts after hitting a home run during the eighth inning of the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the 海角社区官网Blue Jays, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 An Uber driver a little more than two years ago, J.C. Escarra gave a pitch a ride into Yankee Stadium’s bleachers for his first major league home run.
鈥淚 didn’t feel the ball off the bat,鈥 the rookie said after his drive Sunday capped New York’s . 鈥淚 felt amazing 鈥 amazing. And it was special because the first MLB home run and I did it here at home at Yankee Stadium.鈥
Escarra, who turned 30 on Thursday, was out of baseball when the Baltimore Orioles released him in 2022. He took detours to teams in Mexico and Puerto Rico, did and signed a minor league contract with the Yankees ahead of the 2024 season.
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He earned a job on the opening day roster as catcher Austin Wells’ backup, and homered in his seventh start behind the plate. Escarra singled in a run against Brendon Little in the three-run sixth inning, then in the eighth.
鈥淵ou could see the glow. You could see the joy that he鈥檚 bringing in those moments,” reliever Luke Weaver said. 鈥淛ust letting him know, like, `Hey, sick homer.” And it’s like he just lights up.鈥
Escarra got the ball back from a fan in exchange for an autographed bat and is giving the ball to his father, who grew up a Yankees fan in Yonkers.
鈥淭his is my team. This is my family鈥檚 team. It鈥檚 a dream come true, and I鈥檓 doing everything as a Yankee so it can鈥檛 get better than this,” Escarra said. 鈥淚f you would have asked me two years ago that I鈥檒l be here doing this, I鈥檒l tell you that you鈥檙e lying.鈥
Escarra is hitting .200 with three RBIs in 25-bats.
鈥淲e were smiling, jumping around and just really excited for a guy like that who who works hard and obviously you can tell just appreciates the moment and just doesn鈥檛 take anything for granted,” starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt said. “Those guys, they鈥檙e easy to root for.鈥
Pitchers have praised Escarra’s framing ability.
鈥淗e鈥檚 got a really good presence behind the plate,鈥 Weaver said. 鈥淵ou got to steal some strikes and get as many as we can because we sure appreciate it. He’s a natural at it. He鈥檚 worked really hard at it and he鈥檚 right where he needs to be.鈥
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