Yankees’ J.C. Escarra records first career hit in ‘amazing’ first start

At some point, the spring of firsts — his first time cracking a major league roster, his first at-bat — will start to fade from J.C. Escarra.

He’ll settle into a role as the Yankees’ backup catcher, spelling Austin Wells and positioning himself to contribute when needed throughout the season.

Escarra has soaked in the spotlight of being the feel-good story of the spring, but “when it’s finally done, I’m gonna enjoy it as well.” 

It all continued Thursday, when the 29-year-old — who drove for Uber and worked as a substitute teacher to help keep his baseball dream alive — made his first career start behind the plate and picked up his first career hit with a double down the right-field line in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ 9-7 win over the Diamondbacks in The Bronx.

J.C. Escarra celebrates after doubling for his first major league hit during the Yankees’ 9-7 win over the Diamondbacks on April 3, 2025. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

Escarra got the jitters out of the way Saturday, when he entered as a pinch-hitter in the seventh. He’d already caught Carlos Carrasco, who started in the finale, a handful of times during the spring, too. 

He’d already started to “feel more comfortable.” And when he stopped pressing Thursday, what followed was the “amazing” moment of his first hit — the highlight of a 1-for-4 night. 

“It’s funny how baseball works,” Escarra said postgame. “When you don’t try to do too much, that’s when things come.” 

Aaron Boone gave Escarra a heads up before Wednesday’s game that he could start behind the plate the next day.

After the Yankees’ loss, when Boone crossed paths with Escarra, the manager said, “Hey, you’re back there tomorrow.” 

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Escarra told his wife the news. His family, who saw his debut Saturday but already traveled home, all planned to watch, too.

And after the game, Escarra dedicated the ball from the first hit to his father, a longtime Yankees fan who lived in Yonkers for 15 years. 

J.C. Escarra hits a double for his first career MLB hit during the Yankees’ win over the Diamondbacks. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

“Been through a lot,” Escarra said of his father, “so he deserves that ball, and he’s gonna be happy. 

It took Escarra plenty of time — and required a winding, twisting, sinuous route — to get here. It took plenty of work in spring training to earn the trust of pitchers.

He carved out a spot in Yankees history as the 13th-oldest player to make their MLB debut with the club, and at some point, he’ll notch his first homer, first RBI, first of anything and everything else that can get tacked to his ledger. 

And then, it’ll all become normal for Escarra. 

“I want to feel it,” Escarra told The Post pregame of the jitters. “I want to feel everything because that’s what makes it special and it’s part of it. I want to feel all that, and go back to all the work that I put in. Eventually, that feeling’s gonna subside, and I’m gonna go back to the work that I put in, the baseball that I know how to play and just compete.”