I don’t need to say it, but I will anyway—there is a serious lack of quality catchers in major league baseball. Every team needs a catcher like they need pitchers, plain and simple. It seems that while teams strive for top-tier pitching or blue-chip talents up the middle (which are both very important, of course), only a certain number of teams can identify and roll out elite backstops every night.
Finding a really good two-way catcher, one that can impact the game in a big way both at the dish, behind it, in the clubhouse, and in the dugout, is one of the rarest things in baseball at any level. So, you’d think acquiring a top-three, let alone top five or ten catcher in baseball, would come at a ridiculous price. Well, I’ve got a treat for you. Let’s take a look at recent breakout superstar Carlos Narváez.
Background Info
Carlos Luis “El Capitan” Narvaez, or “Narv” as some fans like to call him, has been one of the biggest and brightest spots of this Red Sox team in 2025.
Narvaez signed out of Maracay, Venezuela, with the rival New York Yankees back in 2015. He spent a whopping three years in rookie ball despite putting up solid offensive numbers, and then another two years between Low-A and High-A before making a quick pit stop in Double-A (16 games) as he made it to Triple-A. Between 2023 and 2024, Narvaez played 180 games at the Triple-A level. He did get called up for a short six-game stint in New York, where he went 3-for-13 with two walks.
The big key for Narvaez was the glove, as staff members, including manager Aaron Boone, raved about how well Narvaez worked defensively.
“Defensively, Narvaez is gifted. He has smooth hands and a fluid receiving method, giving advantage to his pitchers. His block-ability is good and his ability to move behind the dish is noticeable. He is aggressive with back-picks to both corners and can throw down with a strong arm,” one scouting report said.
After the emergence of rookie catcher Austin Wells, the Yankees figured they didn’t need the now-26-year-old as depth, so they decided to make a rare interdivision rival trade with the Red Sox. Boston acquired Narvaez, needing backup catching depth with a plus glove, and in exchange gave up one of their better pitching prospects—Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (career 2.70 ERA in 219.2 minor league innings)—and some international bonus pool money.
This came as a shock to some Red Sox fans, as “ERC” was one of the better arms in a system that hadn’t yet displayed how great their pitching depth was, and that Narvaez wasn’t a highly-touted player. In fact, Narvaez had never been ranked inside New York’s top 30 prospects, per MLB Pipeline, despite being a top defender and producing steady offensive numbers throughout his minor league career. But Craig Breslow and the Red Sox’s front office clearly identified something. Manager Alex Cora said that Narvaez was one of the best players he saw over the winter, which is when I started to buy some of his stock… I even picked him to be Boston’s 2025 position player breakout candidate (see here). So far, so good…
2025 Season
At first, Narvaez was the backup to teammate Connor Wong, who was just coming off a career-year offensively, turning in a .280/.333/.425/.758 slash line with a 110 wRC+, all while dropping his K% by over 10%. Wong mightily struggled to start the year and eventually got injured, paving the way for Narvaez to gain more playing time. He hasn’t looked back since.
His start to the year offensively wasn’t anything crazy, posting just a .658 OPS and a 78 wRC+, but the defense was elite. Leading the league in DRS and FRV is great and all, but the pitching and coaching staff both commenting on how connected and comfortable they are with Narvaez behind the dish is another. Since the calendar turned May, he’s really heated up with the stick:
Those numbers are prior to yesterday’s game, where he ended up going 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base. Simply put, he’s been on an absolutely insane heater, looking like a top-three catcher in baseball:
Carlos Narváez, El Capitan
.293/.362/.463/.825
15 XBH
9.5% BB / 23.6% K7 DRS
3 rSB
2 rCERA205 wRC+ in the month of May *before* going 2-for-3 with a BB today. This is his third month in the big leagues, btw.
He. Is. ELITE! pic.twitter.com/PEXDc4zAht
— G.G. (@ggeiss_mlb) May 25, 2025
It’s as easy as this—he’s making hard contact, is unstoppable at the plate, is an elite defender, and his team loves him. He’s the sure-fire starter moving forward, and Sox fans have the right to believe they’ve found their franchise catcher for the next decade. It’s still early. This is Narvaez’s third (ish) month in the majors, but there is a whole lot to like here.
For all of my fantasy managers: Narvaez carries a minuscule 3% roster rate heading into play today. Take advantage while you still can. I’ve included him in back-to-back weekend streaming articles, but I think he should be valued more than just a pickup for a quick win. Narvi is here to stay.
