Yankees Catcher J.C. Escarra Drove an Uber Before He Wound up in the Majors

Although they aren't always this way, professional sports can sometimes be a great equalizer. They allow people with relatively little to prove that they too could be stars, and that's rarely been more true than it was for Yankees catcher J.C. Escarra.

J.C.'s first game in the Majors was on the Yankees' opening day, and following his arrival in MLB, many wanted to know more about his past, which included a stint as an Uber driver. Here's what we know.

J.C. rode in an Uber Black from his hotel in Manhattan to the Bronx for opening day, and he said that the drive made him reflect on his own past as an Uber driver.

"When I was driving Uber, I had no idea the people that were getting in my car,” he explained. “I was just thinking about whoever the driver was, he has a Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees sitting in his car."

Driving an Uber was just one of several odd jobs that J.C. picked up as he continued to pursue his dream of playing basketball professionally. He also worked as a substitute teacher while he played winter baseball in Puerto Rico and Mexico. He taught at Doral Academy Charter High School in Miami, and when MLB scouts descended on the campus in 2023 to look at Rays first-round pick Adrian Sanatana, J.C. introduced himself.

“I would go one by one: ‘Hey, you need a left-handed hitting catcher, I’m your guy,’” he said. “But none of those guys ended up signing me.”

He was ultimately signed to Double-A by the Yankees and eventually moved up to Triple-A. It was from there that he earned a spot in spring training for the Yankees and ultimately earned a spot on the team's roster as their backup catcher.

“It’s a dream come true,” J.C. said. “There was a time in my life that I thought I wasn’t going to be playing baseball anymore. To wake up this morning as a Major League Baseball player, especially for the New York Yankees, it means the world to me.”

It may have meant driving a lot of people to the airport, but it seems that J.C. was able to make his dream into a reality through hustle and hard work.

He may not be part of the team's starting lineup yet, but he's earned a spot on one of the marquee franchises in MLB, and he did it even though he was doubted and ignored at several points along the way.

Riding in an Uber to his first game as a pro was a true full-circle moment for the now-professional player.

Where his career will take him from here will be yet another thing that J.C. has total control over. He's made it to the biggest stage in the sport, and while he's not the team's primary catcher, it seems likely that he'll be a part of at least some starting lineups this season, and that's where he'll have a chance to show the team what he's made of.