Perhaps the main reason the Yankees survived so much missed time by Aaron Judge this year was their starting rotation.

For all of its success, though, there was no guarantee that their main arms would be available — at the same time — until recently.

It has only been the past month in which Tuesday’s Game 1 starter in the wild-card series against Boston, Cam Schlittler, Game 2 starter Max Fried and potential Game 3 starter Gerrit Cole, along with Carlos Rodón, have been able to take all their starts consistently.

“It’s something that I was looking forward to when I first signed here,’’ Fried said Tuesday before the Yankees’ 9-0 win of joining Cole and Rodón in the team’s rotation. “It took a little bit longer than anyone probably would have expected. But also we were able to add another really, really quality arm in Cam. He’s obviously been doing great things.”

Even with Cole and Rodón out of the rotation as they recovered from elbow surgeries they underwent in 2025, and Fried hitting the injured list twice with a bone bruise in his left elbow, the Yankees still put up the best ERA among starters in the majors (3.30).

But since all got healthy, the rotation put up an ERA of 3.09, with some help from Will Warren.

If the Yankees advance to the ALDS to face the Rays — and beyond — Rodón will no doubt return to the rotation, which would give the Yankees a chance against anyone.

“It starts with starting pitching keeping you in the game,’’ Fried said. “We take a lot of pride in being able to put our best foot forward, and we have a lot of confidence in all those guys that are going to be able to take the ball.”

The task of the rotation will be tougher with Judge out for at least the wild-card series with a strained calf and with Giancarlo Stanton limited to pinch hitting after missing almost the entire season with calf injuries of his own.

“Gerrit coming back from surgery, that was a big boost,’’ Fried said of Cole’s return in May from Tommy John surgery. “I know how important it was for me and Carlos to try to make as many starts and to be healthy throughout the whole year like we did last year. And we definitely were frustrated by the fact that we had to go on the IL a couple of times. But this was the goal. The goal was to make sure that we were in a good, built-up position and healthy going into September into the playoffs.”

And that’s where they are, although they were unable to catch the Rays to avoid the wild-card series.

Fried has been a significant part of it.

In his final eight starts of the regular season, Fried had a 2.09 ERA over 43 innings.

He is showing no effects of the bone bruise in the elbow that was diagnosed in May and sidelined him for over two months — and then sent him back to the IL for two weeks in August.

“I would say that the command has gotten a lot better,’’ Fried said of his performance since his return. “I think just the pitching, to the not pitching, to getting back into it again, [made me] a little bit rusty. But over my last couple [starts], I felt normal. I feel like the same me. I’m not really worrying about my health going into the start.”