The Boston Red Sox certainly got a pleasant surprise from Carlos Narváez in 2025.
Boston acquired Narváez from the New York Yankees for minor league pitcher Elmer Rodriguez and international signing bonus pool money. When Spring Training kicked off, Connor Wong was expected to be the team’s No. 1 catcher once again with the backup job up for grabs. Narváez earned the role and entered the season in a depth position. Wong got hurt early on, though, which opened the door for Narváez to step up and he certainly did.
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Narváez finished sixth in the American League Rookie of the Year Award voting. He slashed .241/.306/.419 with 15 homers, 50 RBIs and 27 doubles in 118 games played. On top of that, he finished the season in the 96th percentile in fielding run value, 98th percentile in caught stealing above average, 88th percentile in blocks above average, 87th percentile in framing and 80th percentile in pop time. Essentially, he did it all for the club.
The Red Sox catcher opened up
Oct 1, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) scores the game winning run against Boston Red Sox catcher Carlos Narvaez (75) on a single by New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (not pictured) during the eighth inning of game two of the Wildcard round of the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
What makes his performance even more impressive is the fact that he revealed that there was a point in July when he was set to have surgery to repair his meniscus, but played through it to help the club, as shared by Gabrielle Starr of The Boston Herald.
“I was set up to have surgery in July,” Narváez said, as shared by Starr, “And I didn’t want to. … They told me, ‘You need it …
“I talked to them and said, ‘Let’s work together to make (playing) happen.’ The amazing group that we had, I knew we were getting ready for a postseason, and I just felt my team needed [me]. I said, ‘Please help me to get through to the end.’ … They trusted me.”
Narváez ended up having surgery in October to repair his meniscus.
This puts his season in a new light. Narváez was great. He gave the club pop from the right side of the plate and was phenomenal defensively. It should also excite the fanbase for what he could do in 2026. If you look at his numbers from 2025, there’s a clear difference. He slashed .263/.338/.425 across his first 77 games with eight homers and 31 RBIs. From July 23rd and on, he slashed .197/.241/.409 with seven homers and 19 RBIs in 41 games played.
If his knee holds up in 2026, imagine if the club could get the first half version of Narváez for the entire campaign? That would be a game-changer for the team offensively.
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