Carlos Narváez has shattered expectations so far with the Red Sox
When the Red Sox needed catching help in the offseason, they turned to their arch-rivals, the New York Yankees. They traded pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz to the Yankees for Carlos Narváez in December. So far, the move has been one of Craig Breslow’s best, as Narváez has been everything the Red Sox needed.
In the minors, the talented 26-year-old was known for his defense, which has not disappointed in Boston. In 32 games behind the plate this season, Narváez has posted a .993 fielding percentage and caught eight runners stealing. He has also added 19 assists to his resume while splitting playing time with Connor Wong.
As Narváez has provided excellent defense and has also provided a spark with his bat. In 112 at-bats this season, the Venezuelan native has posted a .268 batting average and driven in 14 runs. He has shown some power with 10 extra-base hits. Every time he steps to the plate, Narváez has been a tough out, which has made it hard for Alex Cora to keep him out of the lineup.
While the sample size is small, Narváez’s play has not gone unnoticed by a former Red Sox World Series champion.
“He needs to play five days a week,” Will Middlebrooks said on “Sox Talk with Will Middlebrooks.” “Defensively, he is a better player. That shows in the metrics. He’s arguably one of the best defensive catchers based off the metrics in baseball — him and Williams Contreras. As far as defensive runs saved, blocking, framing, which is still important with now ABS system.”
Over the last two seasons, Wong has been the team's primary catcher. However, he has struggled at the plate, and Narváez has been better defensively. That could cause Wong's role to change if Narváez continues to build on his impressive start to the season.
While the Red Sox knew they were getting an upgrade defensively with Narváez, they have gotten much more than that. During the first few weeks of the 2025 campaign, he has been one of the team's biggest bright sports with no signs of slowing down.