Surging on the back of a 10-game winning streak, the Boston Red Sox are soaring with a 53-45 record. Now, with the second American League wild card, the team is just three games behind in their division. This outcome would have been out of their reach if it weren’t for the help they’ve gotten from every corner of their roster. One of the quiet standouts has been catcher Carlos Narvaez—an off-season acquisition who stepped up and almost instantly became one of their key contributors.

Speaking of contributions, one of the crucial aspects of Narvaez’s role is to manage the Red Sox’s pitching staff. Contrary to what you may expect, he has some intriguing and creative methods that will catch you off guard.

Apparently, he was seen belting out some unfiltered NSFW pep talk towards reliever Greg Weissert. The idea behind it was just to pump him up on the mound.

Narvaez appeared on the Section 10 Podcast recently and shared a glimpse of exactly how he hypes Weissert up. “Weissert, you gotta be hard on him.”

He added, “Every time in the moment, ‘Hey, bro … let’s (expletive) go.’ He can tell you, one time I went out there and went, ‘Hey bro, you’re being a (expletive). I need you being in beast mode right now.”

It’s certainly not in the playbook. However, it does work! It’s Weissert’s second consecutive season when he has been a key pitcher in the Red Sox’s bullpen. He recorded a 3.27 ERA along with 34 strikeouts and 3 saves across 41.1 innings.

So, if in order to get him amped requires some expletives from Narvaez, so be it. Narvaez himself is putting up impressive numbers, hitting a stunning .273 at the plate with 8 home runs and 31 RBIs. He landed with the Red Sox during an off-season trade with the New York Yankees. He entered as a backup for Connor Wong, but is now one of the key contributors to the team. And guess what?

While he’s the one hyping up Weissert, there is someone who is doing the same for him. A hint: it just so happens to be his former teammate.

Aaron Judge misses Red Sox star Carlos Narváez

Well, we know Judge has always viewed players beyond their on-field performance. He views them for their ethics, determination, and hunger to learn. “Narvy is a hard worker, a great teammate, and one of the best we ever had over here. I was sad to see him go but excited for the opportunity he’s getting right now. He’s really doing his thing over there, swinging it well,” he said recently in a media appearance.

Judge added, “He had a short time coming up with us for a little bit and the stuff I saw in Spring Training and stuff I heard about, everybody loved him. He outworked everybody in this room. So it doesn’t surprise me he’s having the success he is this year.” Narvaez is truly on the rise. Moreover, lately, historic rivalries like that of the Red Sox-Yankees matter less to the players than they used to.

Sure, on the field, they would go to all lengths to dominate the rival team; however, off the field, it’s different. The Red Sox are well known for keeping tabs on the Yankees and get excited about turning their discarded players into valuable pieces.

The Yankees got a fair deal in Carlos Narvaez’s exchange. Little do they realize they are somewhere, the reason behind the Red Sox’s winning streak.