Because Nolan Ryan pitched so well for so long, he was, for many years, a working model for what the ultimate pitcher's body might look like. He had those powerful legs anchoring a compact, fluid delivery. He is thought to have touched 100 mph in an era when hard throwers were the guys hitting 90 mph. Ryan amassed 5,714 strikeouts in the big leagues. As Justin Verlander noted, Ryan maintained his status as a power pitcher throughout his entire 27-year career.
But this generation's ultimate pitcher's body might belong to the Mets' Jacob deGrom -- 6-foot-4 and angular, a human rubber band with flexibility and elasticity.