Michael King, born in Rochester but raised in Rhode Island, grew up a Yankees fan and adored his fellow pitcher Mariano Rivera, the Hall of Fame closer. Naturally, King was in awe when the Yankees called him up to the major leagues for the first time on Sept. 19.

But another surreal moment awaited him a day later — and a week before he became the 54th Yankee to appear in a game this season — when he was handed a marker and asked to sign a navy blue wall hidden inside the clubhouse at Yankee Stadium, one that featured not only Rivera’s signature but those of dozens more franchise legends, from Mike Mussina to Yogi Berra, and Paul O’Neill to Whitey Ford.

“It was humbling,” said King, who caught himself staring at the wall. “I feel like I really haven’t done anything when I’m looking at all those names.”

The dominant theme of the Yankees’ 2019 season was injuries — and victories in spite of them. The club set a major league record by sending 30 different players to the injured list, many of them stars gone for large chunks of the season. Yet they still emerged from the 162-game regular season with 103 wins, an American League East title and home field advantage in their first-round postseason matchup against the Minnesota Twins, which the Yankees lead two games to none after an 8-2 win on Saturday night.