Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon warms up during batting practice for baseball's World Series Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Houston. The Houston Astros face the Washington Nationals in Game 1 on Tuesday. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

HOUSTON — Gerrit Cole rattles off the names of the pitching greats with ease, featuring the same command he shows with his vaunted four-seam fastball.

Bob Gibson. Tom Seaver. Don Drysdale. Plus the guys he saw in person as a kid — Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling — when they dominated in October.

Now in the midst of perhaps the most remarkable run in baseball history, it’s his turn, starting Game 1 of the World Series.

“The people you keep referring to,” Cole said Monday, “got the job done. So I’m trying to deliver on that front.”

Because as we all know, heading into tonight’s opener between his Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals, this is when reputations are built — or wrecked.

Madison Bumgarner, Orel Hershiser and Pedro Martinez excelled in their first Series starts. So did Clayton Kershaw, although his ledger is more checkered.

Cole enters this matchup against fellow ace Max Scherzer at 19-0 in his last 25 starts, including three wins in the playoffs. No pitcher has ever won 20 in a row in a single season.

NL MVP candidate Anthony Rendon is among the few hitters who’ve had success against Cole, going 5 for 13 overall.