Cody Bellinger has a Gold Glove to his credit. He knows good outfield play when he sees it.

That’s why his praise for Pete Crow-Armstrong has some significant weight to it.

The former Cub and 2019 NL MVP (with the Los Angeles Dodgers) formed a quick bond with Crow-Armstrong, a rising talent and now an All-Star with a bright future ahead. Bellinger had a great view of Crow-Armstrong’s rise to stardom during their two years together in Chicago. That working relationship ended last offseason, though, when the Cubs traded Bellinger to the New York Yankees.

We’ve seen Crow-Armstrong’s power come to life this season, and the speed always has been there. But it’s the defense that Bellinger focused on during their time together at Wrigley Field and again Friday before his Yankees faced the Cubs in New York.

Don’t hit the ball to center field. Odds are that’s an out.

“I know damn well not to hit it to him,” Bellinger said in an exclusive interview with Marquee Sports Network’s Boog Sciambi at Yankee Stadium. “We all know that, if you can, you don’t hit it to PCA because he’s probably going to catch it.

“We can’t control where the ball goes, but he’s probably the best center fielder I’ve ever seen. Arm strength. Jumps. The amount of ground he covers — I’m not going to try to hit it to him, let’s be honest. There are not a lot of holes in center field.”

The defensive respect between Bellinger and Crow-Armstrong is mutual. That’s why he said back in January at Cubs Convention that he’d want to rob a homer from Bellinger.

“You know what I think would be the most fun,” Crow-Armstrong stated, “would be when we go to the Bronx and play the Yankees and I take one away from our old friend, Cody Bellinger.”

That could happen starting Friday night, when the Cubs and Yankees play each other in New York. Will Bellinger hit one deep enough? Will Crow-Armstrong take a home run away? It should be a fun event between two friends now on opposing teams.