Insane Stat Shows Just How Effective Red Sox Rookie Has Been This Season
Boston’s catching duo has become the most quietly elite part of the roster, and there’s a good chance they haven’t come close to their ceiling.
For all the chatter surrounding the Red Sox’s youth movement and lineup reshuffling, the club’s work behind the plate remains one of its most underrated strengths.
Connor Wong has returned from an early season finger injury and has struggled mightily in limited appearances after a really strong 2024 campaign. But it is the addition of Carlos Narváez — and the stability he has brought — that is raising eyebrows across the league. In fact, Boston’s catcher tandem is among the league’s Top 10 in WAR, per Thomas Nestico on X.
Narváez, who arrived in Boston via an offseason trade with the New York Yankees, has proven himself far more than a depth piece. The 26-year-old is hitting .280 with an .820 OPS, six home runs and 22 RBI across his first 50 games this season.
It is a sharp contrast from his brief six-game stint with New York in 2024, when his bat offered little and his path to playing time was crowded.
That emergence is no surprise to those who have watched him grind.
“Narvi is a hard worker, a great teammate, one of the best we ever had over here,” Yankees captain Aaron Judge said this past weekend, as reported by Ian Browne of MLB.com. “He outworked everybody in this room.”
While Wong has historically brought pop at the plate and remains strong at controlling the running game, his pitch framing and blocking have left something to be desired. That is where Narváez excels. Boston’s front office did not shy away from addressing that gap, shipping off a pitching prospect and international pool money to land Narváez last December.
What is most exciting about that stat is that it was carried by just Narváez. Wong — who entered the season coming off a breakout campaign with high hopes — has delivered a 0.0 fWAR.
Wong hit .280 with 38 extra-base hits, including 13 home runs, 52 RBI and a .758 OPS (111 OPS+) in 126 games last season. If he can return to form, or even close, he and Narváez could form the best tandem in baseball.