HOUSTON — Harrison Bader is giving Aaron Judge a run for his money as the Yankees’ top power threat.

The center fielder continued his home run hysteria on Wednesday, going deep for the fourth time in six playoff games before the Yankees fell to the Astros 4-2 in Game 1 of the ALCS at Minute Maid Park.

Bader put the Yankees up 1-0 in the second inning when he crushed a 2-2 slider from Justin Verlander 411 feet to left field. In doing so, he became the first player in franchise history to hit four home runs in his first six playoff games.

“I don’t really view it as a hot streak,” Bader said after going 1-for-4. “Just had a bunch of at-bats towards the end of the regular season working through some stuff and found my groove, found some rhythm and every at-bat’s a clean slate. So I don’t really view it as a linear thing. It’s more just every single time we go to the plate, it’s a new opportunity. Try to keep it fresh, especially with the amount of emotion that’s going on between pitches.”

The home runs account for four of Bader’s five hits in 19 at-bats across six playoff games.

The Yankees are getting a strong, if delayed, return from the trade-deadline deal they made for Bader, sending Jordan Montgomery to the Cardinals in exchange for the Gold Glove center fielder. Bader arrived to the Yankees in a walking boot and did not make his debut with the team until the middle of September.

Known more for his defense, Bader went 10-for-46 (.217) with three doubles and a .528 OPS in 14 regular-season games with the Yankees. But he has taken his game to another level in the postseason.

“Wow, it’s impressive,” Aaron Judge said. “It’s why we got him, not only for the key defensive ability to go out there and run it down in center field. But he just has consistent at-bats. He can put the ball out of the park. It doesn’t matter if it’s two strikes [or] he’s up in the count, he’s always trying to go up there and do something special. So it’s been fun to watch him these past couple games.”

Bader entered the postseason batting ninth but hit seventh for the fourth straight game on Wednesday. Considering some of the struggles ahead of him — notably Josh Donaldson and Matt Carpenter — Bader could be a candidate to be bumped up again Thursday in Game 2.