Red Sox Newcomer Delivers In Fenway Park Debut

The Boston Red Sox’s home opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday featured plenty of Fenway Park debuts for the home team.

Backup catcher Carlos Narváez was just one of a handful of players who, like the team itself, delivered in a 13-9 victory and had a solid outing as a member of the Red Sox.

Narváez went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and two walks to help Boston clinch its first win at Fenway of the season.

“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.”

Manager Alex Cora singled out Narváez and Wilyer Abreu during his postgame press conference, stating both “had a great day.”

“Controlled the strike zone too. He puts the ball in play,” Cora said when asked about Naráez specifically. “He goes the other way. Good defender. Good baseball IQ, but the at-bats have been impressive.”

The Red Sox acquired the backstop in a trade with the New York Yankees back in December. Narváez was playing in a winter ball league at the time but quickly returned stateside to join his new team at Red Sox Rookie Development Camp in January.

Narváez spent eight seasons in the Yankees minor league system before making his MLB debut this past year. He played just six games for the Yankees in 2024 and batted .231 (3-for-13).

Alex Bregman, Kristain Campbell and Aroldis Chapman joined Narváez in making their Fenway debuts, and they made an impact in the win. Bregman went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored, while Campbell scored three runs with one hit and an RBI. Chapman got out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning to earn his second save of the season.