It didn't matter that Carlos Narváez was just a rookie and Aroldis Chapman was a 16-year veteran.
With the Red Sox facing the rival Yankees in the 2025 postseason, the young catcher wasn't afraid to go to the star closer and tell him exactly what he wanted.
Narváez recalled one of Boston's biggest moments of the year on MLB Network Radio on Thursday: Chapman's showdown against Giancarlo Stanton with the bases loaded and nobody out in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series, with the Red Sox clinging to a two-run lead.
Before the Yankees slugger stepped to the plate, Narváez went out to talk to Chapman and told him just one thing:
"Bro, we're almost done right here. Let's [freaking] throw just fastballs. Let's go."
With that message delivered, Narváez left the mound. And Chapman struck out Stanton. He went on to escape the jam and the Red Sox won the game.
"Chappy's been in the league for like 15 years. I'm just a rookie catcher," Narváez said. "But of course we had that good relationship."
So, did Chapman take his rookie catcher's advice? Well, kind of.
Immediately after the mound visit, Chapman did fire three straight 100-plus mph fastballs to Stanton to start the at-bat. But the pitch that Chapman used to strike out Stanton? That was a splitter.
Still, a good message from Narváez about how to deal with high-pressure moments with confidence as a young player.
"In those moments, you cannot be [unsure] like, 'OK, what do you want?'" Narváez said. "No. [It's,] 'Let's go.'"