| J.C. Escarra | |
|---|---|
| New York Yankees – No. 79 | |
| Catcher / Infielder | |
| Born:April 24, 1995 Hialeah, Florida, U.S. | |
Bats: Left Throws: Right |
Juan Carlos Escarra (born April 24,1995) is an American professional baseball catcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Escarra's mother left Cuba for the United States in the Mariel boatlift as a child. [1] [2] His father also left Cuba as a child,settling in New York before meeting his mother as an adult. [1] [2] Escarra was born in Hialeah,Florida. He attended Mater Academy Charter School in Hialeah Gardens. [3]
The New York Mets selected Escarra in the 32nd round of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft,but he chose to attend Florida International University (FIU),where he played college baseball for the FIU Panthers. [3] as a catcher and a first baseman. [4] He played collegiate summer baseball for the Staunton Braves of the Valley Baseball League in 2014 and for the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2015. [2]
Escarra was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 15th round,with the 458th overall selection,of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft. [4] He made his professional debut with the rookie–level Gulf Coast League Orioles,hitting .224 in 58 games.
Escarra split the 2018 campaign between the Low-A Aberdeen IronBirds and High-A Frederick Keys. In 63 games split between the two affiliates,he batted .315/.395/.479 with seven home runs and 38 RBI. [5] Escarra returned to Frederick in 2019,playing in 127 games and hitting .235/.325/.364 with 13 home runs and 57 RBI. [6]
Escarra did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. [7] He returned to action in 2021 with the Double-A Bowie Baysox and Triple-A Norfolk Tides. In 95 games for the two affiliates,Escarra batted .223/.332/.358 with eight home runs,38 RBI,and six stolen bases. He was released by the Orioles organization on April 6,2022. [4]
On April 7,2022,Escarra signed with the Kansas City Monarchs of the American Association,where he mostly played catcher. [8] [4] On the season,he hit .291 with 12 home runs and 35 RBI in 70 games. [9] Following the season,Escarra played for the Leones de Ponce of the Puerto Rican Winter League. [4]
On April 13,2023,Escarra signed with the Gastonia Honey Hunters of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. [9] In 41 appearances for Gastonia,Escarra slashed .348/.423/.707 with 15 home runs and 41 RBI.
On June 20,2023,Escarra's contract was purchased by the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. [4] In 21 games for Tijuana,he slashed .329/.421/.610 with six home runs and 10 RBI.
On July 14,2023,Escarra was traded to the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna. [9] He hit .263 with one home run and 14 RBI in 21 contests with his new club. Following the season,Escarra played in the Mexican Pacific League for the Algodoneros de Guasave,before once again playing for Ponce later in the offseason. In February of 2024,he played for Puerto Rico's representative at the 2024 Caribbean Series,the Criollos de Caguas.
On January 11,2024,the New York Yankees signed Escarra to a minor league contract that included an invitation to spring training. [10] He started the season for the Somerset Patriots of the Double-A Eastern League,before being promoted to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders of the Triple-A International League in July. [11] In 124 appearances split between the two affiliates,he batted .261/.355/.434 with 12 home runs and 64 RBI. On November 3,the Yankees added Escarra to their 40-man roster to prevent him from reaching minor league free agency. [12]