PAWTUCKET — Chris Carter is not your typical player to be named later.

There are so many aspects to Carter’s personality, educational background and playing experience, making this 24-year-old utility player an interesting acquisition for the Boston Red Sox.

The Sox acquired Carter on Aug. 22 as part of a three-team deal with Arizona and Washington that sent Wily Mo Pena to the Nationals. At the time of the transaction, Carter’s name was not immediately released because of certain rules regarding this type of deal at this time of the season. But Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said Carter was someone the organization had had great interest in for some time.

Forget the fact Carter was hitting .324 for Triple-A Tucson with 18 homers and 84 RBI in 126 games this season.

Forget that he graduated from Stanford (pre-med) in three years and was thinking about becoming a pediatric surgeon.

Try to conduct a player search on baseball-reference.com, and he’s not even in its database, instead directing you to former major-leaguer Joe Carter’s bio.

So who is Chris Carter?

He’s a Red Sox fan. A big Red Sox fan.

Ask him who his favorite all-time player is and he quickly gives the answer: Ted Williams. What does a 24-year-old California native, whose only East Coast experience was a two-year stint in the Cape Cod League and his recent trip with the PawSox to Buffalo and Rochester, know about Ted Williams?

“I think he’s the greatest hitter who ever lived,” said Carter. “That’s my guy. I heard a lot of stories about him growing up.”

Carter made his McCoy Stadium debut last night, and said before the game against the Buffalo Bisons that he grew up a Red Sox fan because his father instilled in him a great love for the club. When he was told he was traded to Boston, it was a dream come true.

“I was ecstatic,” he said. “I’ve been a big Red Sox fan. My dad grew up a Red Sox fan and told me all the stories about Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski. [While] growing up hearing those stories, my initial thought was to play for the Red Sox as a major-leaguer because that’s all my dad talked about. Now here I am; it’s a dream come true. Hopefully, I get called up this year or next year and it all works out.”

The only time he’s been to Fenway Park was during his stint in the Cape League, when he saw the Red Sox play the Detroit Tigers. Other than that, being at the storied ballpark and playing for the franchise were just dreams.

“It was very cool to see,” he said of his one trip to Fenway. “I got to touch Pesky’s Pole, walked around for a while and was there for the whole game. It was incredible. (Red Sox) fans are the most intelligent fans I’ve ever met. I was really surprised. They really know the game, and hopefully I get a chance to play in front of them.”

Now he’s part of Red Sox Nation.

“I’m not scared,” he said. “I will be a little nervous [if he plays in Boston], but that might be good, too, because I won’t take anything for granted. I’ll be focused the whole time. I heard they’re great fans. That’s all I’ve heard from guys like (former Red Sox pitcher) Lenny DiNardo and other guys I know who played for the Red Sox. They have nothing but good things to say.”

Carter recalls that when he was in [De La Salle High School] someone asked him to name his two top teams to play for. His answer: Boston and the Chicago Cubs. At Stanford, he didn’t play that much but still was hoping to be drafted. The Arizona Diamondbacks made Carter the club’s 17th-round pick in 2004.

“I always thought I would be a Diamondback,” he said. “I was in their organization, and I thought I was stuck, and then I got traded here. I had some tough times in college and some tough times with the Diamondbacks, and just to get to this organization — maybe the best organization in baseball, definitely the best team in baseball — is really amazing. It’s a good feeling to know you’re wanted by this kind of organization. The Red Sox are a classy organization, and I’m already proud to be a part of it.”

jmcdonal@projo.com