PORT ST. LUCIE — Brian Cashman will celebrate his 20th anniversary as the Yankees’ general manager this year, and maybe that just sounds like a nice round number to some, but for those who lived through the George Years, the notion that any high-profile Yankees employee could survive two decades … well, it’s just unfathomable.

Yet here he is. And here the Yankees are, spring training darlings once again, and if they do fulfill their lofty expectations this year it will be a 28th championship for the franchise and a fifth on the watch of Cashman — and if he isn’t there already, it will necessitate asking where he sits on the list of all-time successful New York GMs.

As of now? Here’s the way I see the rankings. Your thoughts are welcome (no, demanded!) at mvaccaro@nypost.com.

1. Ed Barrow: For one thing, he was smart enough in 1920 to recognize that when Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees against his wishes he thought: “Hmmm. Maybe I want to work there.” Smart career move. He can’t take credit for the Ruth deal, but on his watch Lou Gehrig, Lefty Gomez and Joe DiMaggio (among many others) became Yankees, and under his stewardship from 1921-45, the Yankees won the first 10 of their championships. Also, he was born in a covered wagon, which kind of makes the notion of him inventing a dynasty in the big, bad city even cooler.

2. Bill Torrey: Thankfully, the banners atop Barclays Center remain in place, the lasting legacy of one of the remarkable runs any GM in any sport in any city ever had. The Islanders were born in 1972, in the playoffs within three years, had the league’s best record within seven and four-time Stanley Cup champions within 11. That’s a streak of success-in-a-hurry that will be hard to match, ever.

3. George Young: He wasn’t perfect, no. He tried to fire Bill Parcells once, then balked when he was nearly rehired. He thought Dave Brown would be a fine successor to Phil Simms. OK. He also turned the Giants from the NFL’s beast of burden into a beast, period, and did it in seven years. The fact he still isn’t in Canton means they should just turn the Hall into a 7-Eleven until it smartens up.

4. George Weiss : Also an imperfect man, cold-blooded in contract negotiations and shamefully slow to integrate the Yankees. But he was the GM from 1948-60, 13 years, and in that time the Yankees won 10 pennants and seven championships, and he also hired Casey Stengel. That’s a quality résumé.

5. Lou Lamoriello: Maybe you have to be old enough to remember when Wayne Gretzky called the Devils a “Mickey Mouse Operation” — which was actually a kind assessment, to be honest — to appreciate the heights to which the franchise rose under Lamoriello, three Cups and a fighting shot at three or four others.

6. Cashman: Even if you want to say he was lucky enough to latch on to the Yankees dynasty of the ’90s (which is wrong), the ’09 title was all his. And he has guided the team back to where it’s the full-blown Yankees again. It’s possible he won’t be given his full share of credit until he retires.

7. Frank Cashen: He’d have been much higher on this list if the ’80s Mets could’ve just squeezed one more title out of their run, but when you consider the abject mess he inherited in 1980 and the fact just six years later the Mets won 116 games and a title, he’s a security-council-level member of this list.

8. Eddie Donovan: When you engineer a trade — Walt Bellamy and Butch Komives to the Pistons for Dave DeBusschere — that not only cinched the only two titles in Knicks history but is still mentioned 50 years later as one of great heists of all-time, any sport, you make the list.

9. Neil Smith: Forget how his time with the Rangers finished. He ended 54 years of frustration, his fingerprints all over that ’94 team. He belongs.

10. (tie) Rod Thorn, Gene Michael: Neither won a title while holding the job, the only ones on here who didn’t. But Thorn improbably built two NBA Finalists in the Jersey swamps and every Yankees fan extant knows the debt of gratitude they owe The Stick.

Vac’s Whacks

I know I sound like a broken record on this, and I know there are some who think I’m just a grouchy old grump, but when you have two baseball players like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton who hit balls that count close to 500 feet, why is the sight of them mashing batting-practice groove-balls so fascinating?

I have dropped “Homeland” and taken it back more often than a baseball player who still has minor league options. But I have to say: Two episodes into another season I didn’t think was particularly necessary, I’m rehooked.

The Truth about Tanking: There’s no way to measure this, of course, but I’d guess the Knicks’ comeback win over the Magic the other night had to be one of the three most-unwelcome wins in franchise history, right? At least?

If there’s one Mets pitcher who’s worth rooting foe this year, it’s Zack Wheeler. There’s a guy who’s due a bit of good news for a change.

Whack Back at Vac

Donald Nawi: I disagree with your knock on Olympic hockey shootouts. They’re enormously exciting and the alternative to a game either ending in a tie or the game’s going on possibly forever. The NHL saw what a great aspect of hockey competition it was missing and adopted the shootout.

Vac: I think shootouts are necessary (and, yes, exciting) for regular-season NHL games because there’s just too many of them to have triple-OT games in January. But elimination games decided by a shootout? That will never strike me as OK.

MJ from Bronxville: The simplest solution to quickening games: Each pitcher has to face at least three batters, even if it crosses over innings. Players’ union would hate it, but trade the change for a 26th roster spot.

MV from Hillsdale: I’m not sure I love this, but it’s actually a tweak that makes sense within the overall context of the game. Interesting.

@Mehaff81: Dom Smith, late on the first day. So awesomely Mets.

@MikeVacc: I wish I could properly put words to the “face-palm” emoji, because that’s the only appropriate response to The Svelte One’s sleeping in on Day 1.

Tom Bradley: Your column on Donald “Fuzzy” Cohen hit me right in the heart, as my Fuzzy memories never left me, and never will. Thank you so much for your piece. Tears from the heart.

Vac: I’m honestly not sure I’ve ever received such feedback for a single column as I did for the one I wrote for last Monday’s Post on Fuzzy. Amazing how one colorful character could touch so many lives simply by being himself.