Ryan Garcia
With Ryan McMahon being viewed as a capable backup shortstop, the Yankees are trending towards having a spot on their bench for J.C. Escarra.
He has certainly impressed in camp, the 31-year-old launched a 438-foot home run off of Ryan Pepiot in the Yankees’ victory over the Rays earlier today.
Following the impressive performance which included a caught stealing, manager Aaron Boone had some high praise for his backup catcher:
“There’s no doubt in my mind he’s a top half of the league catcher.”
With some seirous power in his backpocket and excellent defensive abilities, Escarra could show off his skills with a more stable role on the 2026 roster.
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The power that J.C. Escarra has displayed during Spring Training has been impressive, launching three home runs in 29 at-bats with a 94.1 MPH Average Exit Velocity.
He’s pulling the ball in the air a ton while making a decent amount of contact in-zone, and there’s a change in his game that could allow for a breakout season.
Escarra is now using a torpedo bat, specifically an Aaron Judge model bat that could have the extra juice needed to make him a threat at the plate.
People inside the organization really liked his bat after he joined the organization in 2024, and the defense has certainly been elite as well.
Last season he recorded +2 Defensive Runs Saved and +3 Fielding Run Value in 209 innings behind the dish, elite-level defense when evaluating on a per-rate basis.
The Yankees are going to likely carry him as the backup catcher based on their praise for him and the lack of reps they’ve given Ben Rice at catcher during Spring Training.
In fact, Rice has not caught a single game during the 2026 Grapefruit League, while he’s continued to catch bullpens he has not gotten in-game action.
This will be a storyline that comes down to the wire with the Yankees still evaluating the 12th and 13th spots on their position player side of the roster.
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