The winding road — which included a hastily executed Plan B following Juan Soto bolting for Queens, a painful spring training and Gerrit Cole crusher and a strong first half before a downturn through June and July in which every physical and mental error screamed Maybe this isn’t the year — has led to October.

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The Yankees, who stiff-arm offseason and regular season concerns like they are 80-pound linebackers, are back where they seemingly always wind up.

With a ninth-inning wild pitch and a Jose Caballero swing, Aaron Boone’s bunch clinched an eighth postseason berth in the past nine years and 26th trip to the playoffs in the past 31 years.

Caballero’s walk-off, RBI single gave the Yankees a dramatic, 3-2 victory over the White Sox in front of 38,318 in The Bronx on Tuesday, ensuring the final five days of the regular season will be jockeying for position and not for an entrance.

The Yankees (89-68) hold the top wild-card spot and closed to a game within the Blue Jays (who hold the tiebreaker) after their loss to the Red Sox.