If any hatred toward the Astros — and particularly their veteran stars — emerges from Yankees mouths during the ALCS, Gerrit Cole likely won’t join in.

The organization that stands in the Yankees’ way represents a cheating menace to some and an old friend to the ace.

Cole starred for Houston from 2018-19, with clubs that did not have the stench of the 2017 World Series champions, which were found to have used a camera scheme during the postseason to steal signs.

The 2022 Astros are far different from the teams with which Cole went a combined 35-10 with a 2.68 ERA. Gone are former teammates such as Carlos Correa, George Springer and Dallas Keuchel. Still leading the rotation is Justin Verlander, and still annoying opposing pitchers is a trio of pesky position players: Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Yuli Gurriel.

“They’re just really good. They find ways to win,” Cole said Tuesday night, after the Yankees knocked off the Guardians in Game 5 in The Bronx and clinched a spot in the ALCS, which was set to begin Wednesday in Houston. “When they’re all clicking, they’re great. When they’re not all clicking, they’re great. That’s why they keep going to the ALCS.”

The Astros are in the ALCS for the sixth straight season because of the young stars they have developed, such as Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier and Yordan Alvarez, and the ones they have retained.

Altuve might have enjoyed his best season as a 32-year-old this year, in which the diminutive slugger posted a .921 OPS with 28 home runs. Altuve was horrid — 0-for-16 — in the Astros’ sweep of the Mariners in the ALDS, but Cole said the second baseman always contributes somehow.

“I don’t know how many hits Jose got in that three-game series, but also he showed with the glove. He was making nasty defensive plays,” Cole said of Altuve, who entered play with the second-most postseason home runs ever (23), only trailing Manny Ramirez’s 29.

The 28-year-old Bregman had another excellent season at third base and went 5-for-15 with a homer against Seattle.

“Bregman seems to be stroking the ball really well right now. Yuli, he’s just always there,” Cole said of Gurriel, the infielder who had a pair of three-hit games in the ALDS.

Cole, who started Sunday and warmed up during Tuesday’s ninth inning, likely will get the ball for Game 3 back in The Bronx.

If this matchup between Cole’s current and former team felt inevitable to many, he viewed it differently.

“The postseason’s crazy,” Cole said when asked if he knew it would be Yankees-Astros all along. “If I was in the National League, we’d have probably said we had to get to the World Series through the Dodgers or something like that.”