NEW YORK — Willie Randolph is standing on the top step of the Yankees dugout with his arms on the rail before Thursday night’s game. He’s telling stories about his playing days with his eyes surveying the playing field. He stops talking midsentence when Yankees pitchers begin a drill that’s done daily in spring training and probably once a month in-season.

“They’re working on some infield stuff here,” Randolph blurts out. “PFP. Interesting. I like it.”

Randolph finishes his story, then is asked about this week’s mini friction, Aaron Judge gently calling out Aaron Boone for revealing the severity of his calf strain.

Randolph laughs.

“That’s like small potatoes in my era,” he says.

Randolph, who turned 72 in July but looks closer to 52, played for the Yankees in the 1970s and ’80s. He was their second baseman for 13 seasons when George Steinbrenner was firing managers left and right, when Billy Martin feuded with Reggie Jackson. He was there when Graig Nettles famously said, “When I was a kid I wanted to be either a ballplayer or work in a circus. Now I get to do both!”

Those were the Bronx Zoo Yankees, who won four pennants and two World Series amid all the off-field chaos.

“Sometimes I was offended by the Zoo label because it wasn’t as bad as people made it seem,” Randolph said. “We had our stuff, and it was in the tabloids with George and Billy and Reggie, but when the game started we were solid, man. We had each other’s back. We’d fight against other teams.

“Billy Martin brought that out in us all a lot.”

Randolph sees a lot of that in the 2026 Yankees, who are 93-68 with one game to go after splitting a doubleheader with the Orioles on Friday.

Randolph is very familiar with the playoff-bound Yankees, who begin a best-of-three Wild Card Series with the Red Sox on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

He was with the Yanks for five weeks in spring training as a guest instructor. He worked as a pre-game and post-game analyst in the YES Network studio for 18 games this season. He’s also been at Yankee Stadium for a few games and watched all the others from his home in Franklin Lakes, N.J.

“Being around this team in spring training, I got a chance to feel what they are and what they’re about,” Randolph said. “I really feel there’s a nice chemistry and a camaraderie here that speaks to them being on the same page as far as winning. I don’t think there’s too many selfish guys in the room. They remind me of our championship teams a lot.

“There’s much more overall talent here now and we were a little sharper fundamentally — different era — but the cohesiveness that this year’s Yankees team seems to have was very similar to the teams when I played.”

Randolph thinks this Yankees team can win the World Series, with or without Judge, who is doubtful for the first round and could miss the entire postseason.

“Yeah, I do,” Randolph said. “I really do. Come on, they’ve got enough. Obviously, you’re gonna miss Aaron Judge. Anybody would miss some big boy like that, but they can beat anyone because they’re pitching.

“I don’t know if I’ve been around a team that’s had a rotation that deep. There’s no doubt they’re throwing out a legitimate starter every day. That’s pretty impressive. The bullpen’s good, too.”

But can the Yankees score enough runs to win playoff games if they don’t get Judge back?

“I think so,” Randolph said. “They have capable players in the lineup. Come on, you’ve got Cody Bellinger. You’ve got a 40-home run guy at DH, Ben Rice. How many teams can say they have that?

“We’re talking about Judge missing playoff games and they’re gonna miss him, obviously. Hopefully he’ll be back, but they’ve got plenty to beat anyone, man. No excuses.”

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