On their way back to being in playoff position, after sinking to .500 on July 4, the Yankees have started to get big contributions from their big-time players.

But beyond trade-deadline acquisitions like Anthony Rizzo and Joey Gallo, there have also been plenty of difference-making efforts by players from whom not much was expected when the Yankees arrived in spring training in February.

“It’s good that everybody’s putting in their piece to win games,” said Nestor Cortes Jr., who has become a valuable piece of the rotation.

A look at the Yankees’ unsung heroes of late:

The Bronx native and Fordham Prep grad has been living the dream since getting called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to replace Gleyber Torres (thumb sprain) on Aug. 9. But the good story isn’t without substance.

Though he’s batting just .217 with a .478 OPS, Velazquez has contributed his share of winning plays, both in the field and with his bat. He did both Wednesday against the Red Sox, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and coming through with the game-ending putout at shortstop — backing up third baseman Rougned Odor, sliding to his right and making the throw — to secure the win.

The lefty reliever came to the Yankees in April in the trade that sent Mike Tauchman to the Giants. He posted a 5.19 ERA across his first 22 appearances, then was one of six Yankees to test positive for COVID-19 coming out of the All-Star break.

Since returning, though, Peralta has yet to allow an earned run in seven games (8 2/3 innings). During that stretch, he has recorded two saves to help steady a shaky bullpen.

The utility infielder/outfielder has often been a source of frustration for Yankees fans because of his light-hitting bat — he was hitting .191 in 61 games through July 29 — but he has turned it on in recent weeks. As the Yankees dealt with injuries to the left side of their infield, Wade entered Thursday batting 15-for-34 (.441) with a 1.054 OPS over his last 15 games.

Wade has also helped make the Yankees a threat on the bases. He stole just six bases (in nine attempts) through the end of July (63 games). In 13 games in August, he was a perfect 6-for-6 — part of a team-wide improvement on the bases.

The funky left-hander is scheduled to make his seventh start of the season Friday against the Twins after initially serving as a long reliever to begin his third stint in the Yankees organization.

With an array of deliveries and arm slots, Cortes has posted a 2.73 ERA as a starter and is coming off his best outing of the year — six innings, one run against the White Sox, one of MLB’s better offenses.

Deivi Garcia and Clarke Schmidt were the more well-known pitching prospects at the start of the year, but Garcia has struggled mightily at Triple-A and Schmidt has mostly been injured.

That opened the door for the 23-year-old Gil, who had not thrown a pitch above High-A before this season, to come up and thrive. Originally promoted as a replacement for Gerrit Cole after the ace tested positive for COVID-19, Gil has yet to allow a run in his first three starts, striking out 18 over 15 2/3 innings.

The former starter transitioned to the bullpen full-time this year, spending the first few months of the season shuttling between The Bronx and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. But after a brutal outing in Tampa on July 29 — giving up six earned runs without recording an out — he has earned the trust of manager Aaron Boone. Perhaps most impressive was his save over the weekend in Chicago, when he cleaned up Zack Britton’s mess in the 10th inning of a 7-5 win.