While the World Baseball Classic (WBC) has raged on, the New York Yankees have been without multiple key contributors. One of those contributors is catcher Austin Wells, who played with the Dominican Republic in the event. Following the DR's semifinal loss to the United States, Wells is set to rejoin the Yankees. However, in his absence, number two catcher J.C Escarra has impressed. New York manager Aaron Boone shared some high praise of Escarra to The Athletic's Chris Kirschner, who shared the take via X, formerly Twitter.
“There’s no doubt in my mind he’s a top-half-of-the-league catcher,” Boone opined to Kirschner on Tuesday afternoon.
Escarra had an up-and-down rookie season. He was sent down to the minors at one point, and the Yankees utilized Ben Rice alongside Wells at catcher last season. If Escarra is truly playing at the level that Boone described, then New York's catching situation will be much better in 2026. Can Wells get back to the highs of 2024, putting last year's down performance behind him?
Yankees look for improved performance from catching duo in 2026
While Boone can deploy Rice at catcher, the focus for the rising third-year player is to play first base full-time. New York re-signed veteran Paul Goldschmidt a few weeks ago, but it's well known that he'll be playing even less this year. For Rice to be the primary first baseman, Wells and Escarra need to improve.
Wells was one of the Dominican Republic's most consistent performers throughout the WBC. His performance in the tournament should give Boone and Yankees fans hope. Escarra, meanwhile, has performed well in his interim stint as New York's top catcher. Will both catchers improve in 2026? If so, then the Bronx Bombers' shot at a 28th World Series title will become much clearer.
