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It wasn't too long ago that Dustin Pedroia was a young infielder trying to establish himself with the Boston Red Sox.

Now there's another young infielder poised for stardom, and Pedroia has taken him under his wing.

The 32-year-old second baseman has embraced acting as a mentor for Xander Bogaerts. The 23-year-old shortstop made huge strides in 2015, raising his batting average to .320 after hitting .240 during his rookie year. But Pedroia thinks Bogaerts can be even better, and admits he's pushed the Aruba native with a bit of tough love.

"I'm so proud of him," Pedroia told NESN's Tom Caron at Red Sox Winter Weekend. "I'm pretty sure I was a little hard on him, but it was for the right reasons, because I know how good he can be, and I know how good he wants to be."

Hear more from Pedroia on Bogaerts' developments and the second baseman's own expectations in the video above.

Thumbnail photo via Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports Images