HOUSTON — The Yankees offense has changed significantly since the last time Justin Verlander faced them in the ALCS, and the right-hander pointed to one difference in particular: DJ LeMahieu.

“Specifically, I think LeMahieu has just been incredible for them,’’ Verlander said before Game 1 of the ALCS on Saturday night at Minute Maid Park.

Then LeMahieu went out and had two singles, a walk, three runs scored — and two superb picks at first base in the Yankees’ 7-0 win over the Astros.

“He’s somebody that gets on base at an incredible clip, the right-hander said. “He hit right around .330 this year and just does so many things so well. And when you can have a lineup behind him with a lot of guys that hit a lot of homers, if he’s on base that much, it just creates that much more damage.”

LeMahieu may have exceeded the expectations and taken some people by surprise with his excellent first season in The Bronx, but not his former college teammate, Houston third baseman Alex Bregman.

“Not at all,’’ Bregman said when asked if he was surprised by how LeMahieu, who was teammates with Bregman at LSU, played in his first season with the Yankees. “He’s hit always.”

And he’s fielding, too.

He made a nice play on a short hop from Didi Gregorius on Bregman’s grounder to start the bottom of the second and after Bregman walked to star the fifth, Aaron Judge raced down a Yordan Alvarez fly ball in right-center. Bregman slipped between first and second, allowing Judge to have a chance to double him off first, where LeMahieu picked it again.

“I just kind of winged it,’’ Judge said. “He’s got a guy sliding in and he made the play.”

Bregman has seen LeMahieu up close since college and the key for LeMahieu is his mindset at the plate.

“I think he has a great approach offensively,’’ Bregman said. “He hits the ball to right field and he hits the ball. When it’s hard, he hits it to right field. When it’s soft, he hits it to left field. And it’s a perfect ballpark for him, too, in New York.”

LeMahieu has hit well just about everywhere with the Yankees and he was in the leadoff spot again for Game 1.

“His power, I feel like, is to right-center field,’’ Bregman said. “He drives the ball that way, which keeps him on every single pitch. He’s tough to get out. So you try and pound them in, be he inside-outs to right field, then you throw him something soft and he’s on time for it because he’s trying to hit it the other way and homers to left field.”

And that’s led him to be especially productive in critical situations, according to Bregman.

“I think that’s one of the reasons why he’s so good with runners in scoring position,” Bregman said. “Because he uses the whole field. He hits from line to line. We saw that when we played in Colorado. And he’s an incredible, incredible player. And he’s had an unbelievable year. … He’s a tough out, man. One of the toughest outs in the game.”