Derek Jeter stopped hitting, so did Gary Sheffield. Tony Clark’s bat was dormant after taking over for an injured John Olerud. Mariano Rivera blew two saves, and Kevin Brown and Javier Vazquez were problematically awaiting in Game 7.

The 2004 Yankees became the first and still only MLB team to blow a three-games-to-none playoff lead. Many co-conspirators allowed the Red Sox to rally in that ALCS. But Alex Rodriguez was the face of the collapse.

Such is the burden when orchestrating your way to New York and having at the time the majors’ largest contract.

Giancarlo Stanton endured this to a degree last October. The Yankees lost a Division Series to the Red Sox for many reasons. But Stanton endured the greatest Bronx wrath for his swing-and-miss, extra-baseless four games. Such was life after orchestrating his way to New York and owning at the time the largest contract in history.

Mike Trout and Bryce Harper have since passed Stanton for the biggest pact. And Stanton has hardly played this year, possessing as many Yankees homers (one) as Kendrys Morales, Troy Tulowitzki and Tyler Wade. Yet, he is positioned to be the face of failure once again should he make it back for the playoffs and the lineup suddenly stalls. Because even without him (and so many others), the 2019 Yankees offense is better than last year’s well-above-average contingent.

Now, the great philosopher Reginald Martinez Jackson — the Plato of ego — once mused: “If you have a bat in your hand, you can change the story.” So, Stanton also can salvage what to date is a lost season due to a series of leg injuries. He certainly is talented enough.

Stanton has just 39 plate appearances this season — one more than Breyvic Valera — yet he has the first (120.6 mph) and tied for second (118.9 mph) hardest hit fair balls of 2019. So it is within his literal power to have the kind of postseason A-Rod had in 2009, which helped the Yankees to their most recent title and erased the perception he was a serial October choker.

But it would be silly to ignore — fair or not — that the Yankee home crowds have been more skeptical about Stanton and quicker to boo him than just about anyone else the past two seasons. If he is missing sliders by a foot with runners on base in October, Stanton will be the negative focal point.

That assumes Stanton makes it back — which is far from a certainty. If he does and everyone else does too, then manager Aaron Boone will pronounce he has great choices. But he also will have the kind that creates the petri dish for second-guessing in and out of the organization. Luke Voit was reinstated from the injured list Friday with Gio Urshela (groin) going on the IL. Stanton, Edwin Encarnacion and Aaron Hicks still have a shot to make it back.

That the Yanks offense has excelled without them is a tribute to the organization and the next-man-up ethos within the clubhouse. Among those who qualified last year for the batting title (Aaron Judge was just shy), Stanton and Miguel Andujar led the Yankees in OPS-plus (130) followed by Hicks (127) and Didi Gregorius. Stanton and Andujar have hardly played this season, and Hicks and Gregorius have missed large chunks.

In response, the 2019 Yankees had given 120 or more plate appearances to 15 players, and all but Austin Romine had a better-than-league-average OPS. The 14 would be the most ever by a team.

Come the playoffs, assuming health, then for three outfield slots, first base and DH, Boone would have nine choices: Encarnacion, Hicks, Judge, Stanton, Voit, Brett Gardner, Mike Ford, Cameron Maybin and Mike Tauchman. This does not include Clint Frazier, who is among the 14 with more than 120 plate appearances and a positive OPS-plus. Nor does it take into account that the best defensive infield has DJ LeMahieu at first and Urshela (if healthy) at third. If Encarnacion or Voit plays first, Urshela probably would not start.

Stanton — due to his contract, track record and talent — will start, or the Yankees are going to have their most controversial October lineup decision since Joe Torre dropped A-Rod to sixth then eighth in the order in the 2006 Division Series against the Tigers.

If Stanton’s legs are fine, he probably starts in left field — though Gardner, Hicks, Judge and Tauchman are all superior defenders to him. If Stanton DHs, then two of three from Encarnacion, Urshela and Voit are not playing (assuming Ford and Maybin are near definites not to start and will be challenged to make the postseason roster).

The depth has fueled this offense. There is kinship to the 1996-2000 dynasty years in temperament. That group displaced pressure because of the internal belief in the next guy — if Jeter failed, Paul O’Neill would succeed; if he failed Bernie Williams would; if he failed, Tino Martinez … No player felt the burden of: “If I don’t hit we are doomed.” That began to change with bigger imports such as Jason Giambi and, especially, A-Rod, who did feel that onus.

Will Stanton feel an obligation to justify his presence, contract and make up for the lost season? Also, does he change the lineup tenor? The 2019 Yankees strike out at the same rate as 2018 (though with strikeouts up around the league that is a slight improvement).

But because there are more good contact hitters such as LeMahieu, Urshela and Ford joining Gardner, Gregorius and an improved Gleyber Torres — all of whom are not sacrificing damage to get the ball in play — this Yankees lineup is harder to navigate, in general, and with runners in scoring position, in specific (Gardner is actually the lone regular Yankee to struggle in the clutch).

These Yankees are akin to a big NBA scorer: You think he hasn’t done much, then look up and he has 25 points. These Yankees have four or more runs even when it seems they are stalled, excelling at both long balls and clutch. They had three or less runs 28.4 percent of the time last year, it is 24.3 this season — and they are averaging a half-run better overall per game.

Perhaps Stanton returns and integrates into this collection seamlessly. But the great offensive success has been accomplished in 2019 mainly without him. Thus, no Yankee faces greater reputational peril come October.