Aaron Judge and Anthony Volpe may have stolen the spotlight, but Gerrit Cole pitched like a $36 million ace in Thursday’s season opener in The Bronx. 

Cole tossed six scoreless innings and struck out 11 in the Yankees’ 5-0 win over the Giants, an encouraging start for a rotation that begins the season with three key members on the IL. 

“He was sharp,’’ Aaron Boone said. “He had good stuff, a good fastball and moved his fastball around all day.” 

An effective changeup was key, as well. 

Cole also overcame what was a bit of an alarming start, when he walked LaMonte Wade Jr. on four pitches to open the game, struggling with the chilly weather with the first-pitch temperature of 39 degrees. 

“It was cold,’’ Cole said. “It was tough to feel my hand. I didn’t think my command was great all day.” 

But after firing four high pitches to Wade, Cole struck out the side in order, with Michael Conforto and Wilmer Flores going down looking and Joc Pederson swinging. 

Cole got his first seven outs by strikeout and had 10 strikeouts through four innings on his way to setting a franchise Opening Day record for strikeouts, breaking the mark set by Tim Leary in 1991. 

The performance didn’t surprise the Giants, with manager Gabe Kapler calling Cole “one of the best pitchers in the game.” 

“We drove his pitch count up, we just couldn’t finish with line-drive base hits,’’ Kapler said. “Cole settled in and threw a ton of strikes.” 

Cole gave up just a second-inning single to Thairo Estrada and a two-out hit to Roberto Perez in the fifth before coming out for the sixth having thrown 85 pitches. 

Unsure how much longer he’d be able to stay in the game, Cole allowed a liner to left to Conforto to start the inning — with left-hander Wandy Peralta up in the pen. 

But Cole then got Flores to hit into a double play and finished the inning — and his outing — by retiring Pederson. 

“He was pretty electric,’’ Boone said. 

Good enough to become the first Yankee to throw at least six shutout innings in a season opener since Roger Clemens did it in 2003. 

Cole also became just the fifth Yankee pitcher to make four straight Opening Day starts, joining CC Sabathia, Lefty Gomez, Mel Stottlemyre and Jack Chesbro. 

And fortunately for the Yankees, who are without Carlos Rodon, Luis Severino and Frankie Montas, Cole has continued to be durable. 

“Physically, I’m in a good spot,” Cole said.