FREDERICK, MD – J.C. Escarra (2018 and 2019) got the call he always dreamed of earlier this week after the New York Yankees added Escarra to their active Opening Day roster ahead of the team’s first game Thursday afternoon.
After playing 125 games last year in the Minor Leagues, Escarra earned the trip to Yankee Stadium and is one of two active catchers for the Yankees along with Austin Wells going into 2025.
The Hialeah, Florida native played 139 games and had 14 homers along with 61 RBIs during his two years in the Key City. During his 2019 campaign, Escarra was named the team’s primary backstop, finishing with a .235 average across 127 games, leading him to move up to Triple-A Norfolk prior to the 2021 season.
Following stints with the Triple-A Tides and the Double-A Baysox in 2021, Escarra took his talents to independent baseball and appeared in 70 contests for the Kansas City Monarchs of the American Association of Professional Baseball. He then played for five different teams across four different independent leagues in 2023 before getting dealt to the Yankees organization in 2024.
This past season, Escarra appeared in 73 games for the Double-A Somerset Patriots and hit .234 with 30 RBIs. He also earned playing time with the RailRiders in Triple-A ball, where he hit at a .302 clip across 52 games.
Escarra now becomes the 24th former member of the Keys to be active in the MLB and will look to get his first taste of action in the big leagues against the Milwaukee Brewers this weekend in the Bronx.
The Frederick Keys begin their 2025 season against the West Virginia Black Bears on Wednesday June 4 at 7 p.m. at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium. Tickets and the promotional schedule will be released at a later date.
