BOSTON — Red Sox manager Alex Cora informed backup catcher Carlos Narváez last night that he would be starting behind the plate on Opening Day at Fenway.
“Such a blessing,” Narváez said. “This place was rocking today. When I knew I was playing today, I said, ‘Oh my God. First day at Fenway. That’s gotta be awesome.’ And it was. Fans were crazy here. We got the win. The boys were hitting.”
Narváez was one of the boys hitting. The 26-year-old went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and two walks to help the Red Sox win 13-9 over the Cardinals here in the home opener Friday.
Cora shouted out Narváez during his postgame press conference before receiving a question about the rookie catcher, saying he “had a great day.”
“He controls the strike zone, too,” Cora added. “And he puts the ball in play. He goes the other way. Good defender. Good baseball IQ. But the at-bats have been impressive.”
Narváez delivered an RBI single in the third inning. He rocketed a 398-foot RBI double to center field in the eighth inning. He connected on a 94.4 mph sinker from righty Chris Roycroft and it left his bat with a 108 mph exit velocity.
“That was insane,” he said. “It feels amazing to play at a place like this. I’m so blessed to call this place home now.”
The Red Sox acquired Narváez from the Yankees for pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz on Dec. 11. He had appeared in just six major league games — all for the Yankees in 2024 — prior to this season. He made his first ever Opening Day roster thanks to the work he put in during the offseason to become both a better hitter and defensive catcher.
Narváez spent the offseason playing winter ball in Venezuela for Lara. He focused on strengthening his legs, getting stronger in the lower body and working on his swing mechanics, including becoming more directional to the ball.
He continued to make adjustments during spring training “especially the second half” of camp, he said. He spent a lot of time with Boston’s three hitting coaches, Peter Fatse, Dillon Lawson and Ben Rosenthal.
“We started working on something a little bit different. Shorter to the ball. … Get those hands quicker. It’s been paying off,” Narváez said. “It’s been really good. I got those knocks today but most importantly I think those RBIs … put us in a better position.”
He also worked thoroughly with Red Sox catching instructor Parker Guinn during spring training. Narvaez was always considered a strong receiver in the minors. But the Red Sox knew his arm strength needed to improve. Guinn involved the Red Sox pitching department to help him with his mechanics.
He said Guinn also showed him videos of his mechanics in 2024 to break down areas where he needed to improve.
“We definitely worked on them during spring training when Parker showed me those videos from last year,” Narváez said. “To compare what I can do better.”
He said he quickly realized what needed to be worked on.
“It feels way better now,” Narváez said. “Hopefully it gets better day by day because we’re still working on it.”
