Baseball is often a young man's game. But don't count out the old guys, even on the sport's biggest stage. Every once in a while, a starting pitcher in his late 30s -- perhaps even in his early 40s -- starts and wins a World Series game.

Justin Verlander wants to keep pitching at 43. Will Detroit bring him back next to Tarik Skubal for a World Series push — or as a replacement?

Only two players who came out of the Mets’ system play for World Series teams, Conforto and Giménez, the latter of which was sent to Cleveland as part of the Francisco Lindor trade. The Mets would still make that trade again. The shortstop is a bonafide star and a key leader for the Mets on and off the field.

The club announced Thursday the 22-year-old will start the opener of the Fall Classic, making him the first rookie to start a World Series Game 1 since Justin Verlander and Anthony Reyes both did it in 2006. Reyes took that game, throwing eight-plus innings in a 7-2 win for the St. Louis Cardinals.

But Zito and the Giants roared all the way back, and the lefty beat Justin Verlander in Game 1 of the World Series, when Pablo Sandoval – Pablo Sandoval! – crushed three homers off the future Hall of Famer. Not your average 93-win wild card ...

Not Scherzer, though. The 41-year-old Toronto Blue Jays starter has maintained some of his old-school ways while still adapting to younger, stronger hitters since making his big league debut in 2008.

Max Scherzer got the start for the Blue Jays in the winner-take-all World Series finale and the 18th-year veteran delivered for Toronto.