ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — This bullet train is headed straight at the Yankees and the ALCS.

Teams are always on missions in the postseason, it’s usually a way to market some shirts and give the players a quote for reporters. But make no mistake, these Astros are on a mission and it has nothing to do with their slogan “Take It Back.’’

It’s more like, “You Can’t Stop Us.’’

This is not just about the two aces, Cy Old in Justin Verlander and Cy Young in Gerrit Cole. This is about an organizational footprint of success and the way the Astros play the game and the talent level they have throughout the lineup.

Sure they have their share of launch-angle swings, but they put the ball in play, they excel at defense, and they are built for October mentally as well as physically.

Right now it is a race between the 2-0 Astros and 2-0 Yankees as to who can sweep first in the ALDS. The Astros have the earlier game Monday, so they can get it done when former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke goes against former Astro Charlie Morton, who will be trying to keep the Rays in the game at Tropicana Field.

The Astros’ superior starting pitching and all-around play has lifted them to that lead over a really good Rays team that, believe it or not, has taken some quality at-bats the first two games of this series. It’s just that Verlander and Cole were out of this world good.

Consider this number from Cole’s 15-K performance on Saturday in the Astros’ 3-1 win at Minute Maid Park. Cole finished with 33 swings and misses, the most ever in a postseason in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008). Hitters did not have a chance.

Verlander pitched seven shutout innings of one-hit ball in the Game 1 6-2 Astros victory on Friday. Cole went 7 ²/₃ innings. In those 14 ²/₃ innings, the two pitchers combined for 23 strikeouts. One Ray made it to second base in all that time.

When Greinke, who does not talk much, was asked Sunday what it was to watch those two performances at home at frenzied Minute Maid Park he said, “It’s nice.’’

That is one way to put it.

The Astros have it all going as manager A.J. Hinch explained perfectly.

“People like it here,’’ he said of his players that include stars Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and George Springer. “The winning helps, but the culture really is about just bringing the best version of yourself here. We let guys be themselves. If you’re quiet, be quiet. If you’re loud, be loud. If you’re in-between, be in-between. I don’t think there’s one cookie-cutter way to run a team. You have to adapt to the personalities on the team.

“We work our tail off,’’ Hinch said.

He was just warming up.

“I tell these guys from the very beginning, you can be yourself, but we’re going to be very elite on the field. We’re going to talk a lot about the baseball.’’

To that end, in Thursday’s pre-series workout, the Astros had a most serious defensive session on both infield and outfield play, the kind of stuff most teams only do in spring training, if at all.

“One of the things that I take the most pride in is our ability to stay in the moment and just play today’s game. And we’re not celebrating until we get three wins in this series,’’ Hinch said.

“Some guys need a little bit more structure, then we give them more structure. Guys need to be left alone, we leave them alone. Our guys as the coach, manager, the team culture and chemistry is about adapting to each individual and bringing out the best version of themselves.

“So the best thing that helps the culture is winning,’’ Hinch said, the ultimate baseball truth. “That’s what’s happened here over the last five years. But when we go on the field at 7 o’clock, or [Monday] at 1 o’clock, every single guy knows what’s expected of him. It seems to be working pretty well.’’

It’s working to perfection and if all goes well, the Yankees will be next on the hit list.