Carlos Narvaez ready to see the other side of Red Sox-Yankees rivalry
Carlos Narvaez has been one of the few bright spots with the Boston Red Sox this season, emerging as the team's everyday catcher and current cleanup hitter. This weekend, he'll get his first taste of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry from the Boston side of things.
He knows plenty about one of the best rivalries in sports, but his previous perspective is much different than the one the 26-year-old currently holds. Before arriving in Boston over the winter, Narvaez spent nine years in the Yankees organization after signing with New York as an international free agent in 2015.
He made his Major League debut with the Yankees 11 months ago, and though he only played in six games in the big leagues, he was around the team during its run to the World Series. This weekend, he'll see many of his former teammates and friends when they step to the plate against Boston in the Bronx.
"It's going to be a lot of emotions, of course," Narvaez told WBZ-TV's Joe Weil. "Last year when I made my debut, I never expected being traded. ... I'm super proud being able to wear both uniforms."
That the Red Sox got such a key contributor on the 2025 squad from the hated Yankees is an added bonus. The backstop was acquired last December for pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, and made Boston's Opening Day roster as Connor Wong's backup. Narvaez took over behind the plate on a fulltime basis when Wong fractured his pinkie in early April, and has been great for Boston since.
Through 47 games, Narvaez is slashing .288/.356/.456 with an .812 OPS to go along with five home runs, a dozen doubles, 19 RBI, and 24 runs scored. He's also displayed some excellent defense behind the plate.
Narvaez said he remembers everything about his MLB debut at Yankee Stadium last year. He was told to grab a bat in the bottom of the ninth with New York trailing the Tampa Bay Rays, 9-1. With the count at 2-2 against Kevin Kelly, Narvaez ripped a single to right field.
"It was a big day for me, like it is for every guy," recalled Narvaez. "I got goosebumps. ... That was cool after nine years in the minors, I got to make my debut at Yankee Stadium."
Despite his short stint in the Majors last year, Narvaez said he learned a lot in 2024. He continued to clean up his game and develop in Winter Ball, and he's now using everything he learned last season in his first year with Boston.
"I'm happy because [last year's work is] paying off right now," he said. "But at the same time we have to, as a group, find a way to win games."
