J.C. Escarra Fantasy Stats

New York Yankees catcher J.C. Escarra will open the regular season in a backup role behind Austin Wells, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Ben Rice did appear in Sunday's spring training game behind the dish, but he's expected to spend most of 2026 at first base, leaving Escarra as the natural No. 2 backstop option. The 30-year-old made his MLB debut in pinstripes last year, slashing .202/.296/.333 with an 11.2% walk rate, a 14.3% strikeout rate, and 79 wRC+ across 40 big-league games (98 plate appearances). He didn't have the best batted ball results, but he posted solid discipline numbers and was significantly above average behind the dish with 3.9 framing runs and 3.3 defensive fWAR.

New York Yankees catcher J.C. Escarra will go on the paternity list after being forced to leave the team's series in Cincinnati when his wife went into labor. The team already has Austin Wells and Ben Rice on the roster, although they have tried not to use Rice behind the plate if possible. The team hasn't announced if they will call up a catcher to fill Escarra's spot on the roster, but if they do, Alex Jackson, Ronaldo Hernandez, and Jesus Rodriguez would be candidates to fill the role, with Rodriguez the most likely option since he is already on the 40-man roster. The team could also opt to just stick with Wells and Rice short term since Escarra will likely return soon.