From Uber driver to playing with the New York Yankees, J.C. Escarra’s incredible story

They say that some dreams can come true in life and this occasionally applies to the world of sport too. Florida-born baseball player Juan Carlos Escarra was recently making his living as an Uber driver and more recently as a substitute teacher but has just signed a deal with the New York Yankees.

Aaron Boone, the manager of the Bronx Bombers broke the news to the 29-year-old telling him that he had earned a spot on the MLB Opening Day roster for this season and for the moment he will act as backup to catcher Austin Wells.

In a pair of emotional videos, the Yankees showed how the player received the news from Aaron Boone and how he then subsequently relayed the information to his mother.

“You’re going to the big leagues,” Aaron Boone told him. “Among so many good people, you earned your place on the team. It’s been a tremendous journey, but now another, more real one is beginning,” he added.

From Uber driver to playing for Yankees

Escarra received a minor league contract in 2024 and after performing well in spring training and earned a chance to debut with the first team. He was previously signed by the Baltimore Orioles until being released in 2022 but never debuted for the first team.

The player then had to ‘chip away’ and opted to play in independent leagues and last winter he was playing in the LIDOM (Dominican Republic) with the Águilas Cibaeñas. He never gave up his dream to play in MLB and to make ends meet, he took on a series of other jobs such as Uber driver, construction work and worked briefly as a substitute teacher and now, Escarra is now expected to earn around $800,000 this season.

The catcher was born in Florida to Cuban parents and is a left-handed hitter who plays catcher and batted .333/.373/.563 in 17 preseason games, with a .935 OPS, three home runs, and eight RBIs.

The Yankees start their new season activity on Thursday as they welcome the Milwaukee Brewers to Yankee Stadium.

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