MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — New Red Sox infielder Zack Short grew up in Kingston, N.Y., in a family of both Yankees and Mets fans.

“I have this whole divide in my family with the Yankees and Mets,” Short said Friday at Target Field. “My dad’s side is Mets fans and my mom’s side is Yankees fans. So I grew up going to way more Yankees games. But my dad’s side got me for fandom.”

Boston acquired the versatile infielder from the Mets on Wednesday in exchange for cash.

Despite being a Mets fan growing up, Short’s favorite player starred for the Red Sox. He enjoyed watching Dustin Pedroia. He still watches fielding and hitting highlights of Pedroia.

“I just enjoy truly how much he gets in the dirt and plays,” Short said.

The 5-10, 180-pound infielder was never the tallest person on his teams growing up. So he could relate to Pedroia. He watched more of Pedroia’s games while attending Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn.

“A bunch of my friends were Red Sox fans,” Short said. “It felt like I was watching the Red Sox every night. Something about him. Obviously being a smaller guy, playing up the middle and just having that grinder, grit mentality in how he plays the game. It’s just something that always stuck out to me. Obviously that is something I could kind of relate to. Obviously it’s hard to relate to somebody like Big Papi. But watching him kind of just stuck with me. I find myself watching his highlights now.”

Did Short incorporate any of Pedroia’s game into his own?

“In high school, I would do the hop that he did,” Short said. “I’ve changed it a little bit. I still get in the air a little bit — not nearly as much as him. But he was the first one that really kind of opened my eyes to it when I was becoming a better fielder in high school and college. It was like, ‘Oh, my God. It makes sense.’ .. It was his way of doing it. I kind of envied it.”

Short is one of only two Sacred Heart baseball players ever to reach the majors. While in college, he formed a strong relationship with Sacred Heart athletic director Bobby Valentine, a former big leaguer who managed the 2012 Red Sox.

“He was great to me,” Short said. “He helped me some much through the draft process. Even now, if I saw him, we would chop it up like it was nothing. He was great to me like I said. He was always ear to ear whenever I saw him or went into his office.”

Short is excited about his opportunity with Boston.

“Really excited, especially watching it from afar,” he said. “Dealing with all the injuries this team did and still sticking around and sticking in it and not caring — just next man up — it’s pretty cool.”