NEW YORK -- Many fans may not know that Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and Red Sox manager Alex Cora are close, and Lindor got the best of his friend’s team on Monday and Tuesday at Citi Field. In those games, Lindor went 4-for-7 with a homer and four RBIs as the Mets won the first two games of the series.

Asked how he felt about playing well against a family friend, Lindor said, “You always bring that extra [motivation] when you are playing against somebody that you know and respect and who would give crap back to me. He is amazing. I love him. We have been going at it for years.”

Lindor and Cora have known each other dating back to when Lindor was in elementary school in Caguas, Puerto Rico, and Cora was playing for Double-A San Antonio, then a Dodgers affiliate, during the late 1990s. According to Cora, they made eye contact during a Little League Opening Day game that Lindor was participating in. Lindor remembers the day like it was yesterday.

“It was cool to see [professional] players. I took pictures with them. It was very special,” Lindor said. “Not only was he a good big leaguer, but a great manager.”

Fast forward to 2024 and Lindor is one of the top candidates to win the National League MVP Award. Entering Wednesday’s action, Lindor was first in the NL in fWAR (7.2) and second in bWAR (6.4) behind Shohei Ohtani. Among Major League switch-hitters, Lindor is first in doubles, hits and extra-base hits.

“He is the guy for [the Mets]. Everything revolves around him,” Cora said. “I think this year, he has put everything together and he is a player we envisioned when he was a little kid.”

Cora is glad that he doesn’t have a vote for the NL MVP race. It appears Lindor and Ohtani are neck and neck for the award.

“First of all, I’m very proud of [Lindor]. This is a kid we saw grow up back home. He made the decision to go to Florida to keep improving. Everything panned out for him. He is such an impactful individual,” Cora said. “There is a vibe about him that not too many guys have at the big league level, from the walk up song [“My Girl” by The Temptations], his smile, to the energy, to the commitment, to the structure, to the discipline. This kid is on point with everything. It brings joy to us [in Puerto Rico]. We love watching him play.”

Lindor is in his 10th year in the big leagues and he never forgot the advice he received from Cora that sticks with him to this day.

“'Stay hungry. Continue to play the game the right way,'” Lindor remembered.