ARLINGTON , Texas — This season was a Next Man Up performance and mentality from the Yankees.

It made for good summer stock theater, and the Yankees made it through the regular-season gauntlet knowing they have more depth than they could have possibly imagined, but now as the calendar soon flips to October, Next Man Up takes on an entirely different meaning.

“It’s not going to be a guy gets injured and somebody steps up,’’ Aaron Judge told The Post on Saturday at Globe Life Park before the Yankees lost 9-4 to the Rangers. “It’s going to be, ‘Hey we are all here, we’ve got a job to do. If I get up there and I don’t get my job done at the plate, the next man behind me should step up.’

“I think that is what made this team so great and turned it into a juggernaut that it is,’’ said Judge, who went 1-for-3 in the loss. “It is not only the guys stepping up and filling holes it’s guys stepping up and getting the job done. Going into the postseason we are going to keep doing what we have been doing.’’

Not that the Yankees ever were underdogs, not with the resources they possess, but this team this summer was not the same team Red Sox president Larry Lucchino once labeled the “Evil Empire.’’

Now, even though the Yankees are still fighting off their fair share of injuries going into the postseason, the Next Man Up mantra is over. Forget it. Time to move on from that.

It’s time to be the bully. Better yet, Yankees: Be the dragon.

Twins president Dave St. Peter did the Yankees a big favor.

Not that they needed a wake-up call, but his pronouncement earlier this week came at the perfect time for the Yankees to get into postseason dragon mode.

St. Peter told SKOR North radio, “Organizationally, I just say it is time to slay the dragon, right? … Let’s go. Bring ’em on.’’

Be careful what you wish for, Mr. St. Peter. He has been Twins president for 17 years and knows what it is like to have his organization pounced on by the Yankees.

The Twins have been the Yankees’ postseason punching bag. The Yankees have won 10 straight October meetings against the Twins. The Twins don’t show up in October. They haven’t won a playoff series since 2002.

The Yankees need to make the Twins evaporate one more time so they can move onto the ALCS and get to work getting back to winning a World Series. The Yankees haven’t won one since 2009. Since 2003, the Yankees have won as many World Series as the Marlins — one.

So though the Yankees have feasted on the Twins in October, they have not been able to complete the job.

This is a dangerous Twins team, which can match the Yankees’ power. The Yankees blasted six home runs on Friday night to beat the rancid Rangers and have two more games at Globe Life Park before the October fun begins.

The Yankees have hit 305 home runs after going homerless Saturday. The Twins have 304 after Nelson Cruz hit his 41st on Saturday. The teams will go right down to the end of the season slugging the Manfred Ball out of the ballpark.

The Yankees are 45 games over .500, but none of that matters if they don’t beat the Twins. The series gets underway Friday night at Yankee Stadium.

If the Yankees can finish off the Twins at Target Field, Judge can walk to the Yankees team bus blasting “New York, New York’’ from his boom box.

Until now, the only competition between the Yankees and Twins this year has been the home run title. The stakes are higher now. The Twins want to slay the dragon. The Yankees need to keep their dominance over Minnesota a sure baseball bet.

Slowly, the Yankees have been getting ready for the postseason. There is a time and a place for everything.

Make no mistake, the Yankees know they have much to prove this October. Losing the ALDS to the Red Sox in four games last year and being knocked out at home really hurt them. It also inspired them. The goal was to win the AL East and the Yankees ran away from the Red Sox and pranced to the division title even though the tenacious Rays kept up the good fight.

New Yankee James Paxton has waited his entire career for this October spotlight. Paxton only pitched one inning Friday night because he felt some tightness in his left glute and the Yankees need him ready for the ALDS opener.

“This is very exciting,’’ Paxton told The Post. “I’ve never been a part of a postseason team, so to be able to go into the ALDS is going to be a lot of fun. We are going to have a great time.’’

The Yankees are super confident as a group.

Deep down they believe they are the dragon or in Judge’s words, the “juggernaut.’’

Time to get to work. The reminder from the Twins president comes at the perfect moment.