Jugs | Changeup Baseball
Jugs Changeup Baseball Pitching Machine
One button takes the pitch from 70 mph down to 44 mph and the hitter gets no warning. That 26 mph drop is the entire reason this machine exists. The remote sits on a keychain and Jugs states it works virtually anywhere on the field, including near the machine, beside the hitter, or from the dugout, so the coach watching the swing is the one who decides what the next pitch will be. A hitter cannot sit on a fastball when the fastball might not arrive.
Underneath the changeup circuit, the Changeup Baseball is a 75 lb single-wheel machine on a 16 in. pneumatic tire with a published speed range of 15-70 mph, which is the same weight, the same tire and the same range as the BP1. Two published figures separate them. The first is the button. The second is the release: Jugs publishes a 64 in. realistic ball delivery height here and publishes no height figure at all for the BP1. The swivel base gives 360-degree movement for fly balls, pop-ups and ground balls. Jugs does not publish a power source, a chute size, a numbered pitch list, a feed rate or dimensions for this machine, and none are stated on this page.
FastballsUp to 70 mphPublished range 15-70 mphChangeupsAs low as 44 mphAt the push of a buttonBall Delivery Height64 in.Realistic release pointMachine Weight75 lb.16 in. pneumatic tire26 mph between fastball and changeupKeychain remote control64 in. ball delivery height360-degree swivel base
How it fools a hitter
The Button, the Remote and the Release Point
Three of the four cards below are about one idea: changing what the hitter expects without changing anything the hitter can see.
?What the Changeup Button DoesTiming is the whole of hitting, and a machine that throws one speed teaches a hitter to time one speed. The changeup circuit on this machine breaks that. Jugs publishes fastballs up to 70 mph and changeups as low as 44 mph, switched by a remote control while the session is running. The hitter sees the same wheel, the same chute and the same arm slot, and gets a pitch 26 mph slower. Nothing about the machine gives the pitch away in advance, which is what a real changeup does and what a fixed-speed machine cannot do.70 mph to 44 mph?A Remote on a KeychainThe speed change comes from a handheld remote carried by the coach. Jugs states it can be pressed virtually anywhere on the field: near the machine, by the hitter, or even in the dugout. That places the decision with whoever is watching the swing. A coach standing behind the cage can call fastball, fastball, changeup on the spot, with no walk to the machine to telegraph it.Anywhere on the field?A 64 in. Ball Delivery HeightJugs publishes a 64 in. realistic ball delivery height for this machine and states that hitters see the pitch thrown from a realistic release point. Release height is the difference between tracking a ball that comes at you on a plane and tracking one that floats out of a low box. Three of the six baseball machines in this lineup publish a height figure: this one, the BP2 and the SP3, all at 64 in. Jugs publishes no delivery height for the BP1, the mini3 or the BP3.64 in.?The 360-Degree Swivel BaseA swivel base is the part of a Jugs machine that turns one purchase into two drills. The base rotates a full circle, so the machine that just threw batting practice pivots and puts balls in the air. Jugs states the design gives 360-degree movement for fly balls, pop-ups and ground balls, which keeps outfielders working. Combined with the changeup circuit, the same base feeds a deep fly at 70 mph and a short one at 44.Full circle
The published figures
Eight Facts From Jugs on the Changeup Baseball
Every line below appears on the manufacturer’s own page for this machine.
⚡Fastballs up to 70 mphRemote controlled?Changeups as low as 44 mphSingle button?64 in. ball delivery heightRealistic release point?Weighs 75 lb.Rolls into position⚫16 in. pneumatic tireSingle wheel?360-degree swivel baseFly balls and pop-ups?Remote works from the dugoutOr beside the hitter⚾Six ball types publishedBaseballs to Bulldog polyballs
Closer look
Two Numbers That Do Not Appear on the BP1
The changeup
Twenty-Six Miles an Hour, No Warning
Jugs states the machine throws up to 70 mph fastballs and changeups at speeds as low as 44 mph. The gap between those two numbers is 26 mph, and the machine crosses it at the touch of a button with the hitter still in the box. That is the drill this machine was built for: a hitter who has learned to square up 70 mph has to hold his weight back when 44 arrives, and there is no windup, no grip and no arm speed to read it off. Jugs describes the machine as being for advanced players, and the manufacturer publishes no numbered pitch list beyond fastball and changeup.
- Fastballs up to 70 mph
- Changeups as low as 44 mph
- Full published speed range 15-70 mph
- Speed changed by handheld remote control mid-session
- Remote usable near the machine, by the hitter or in the dugout
70 mph44 mphRemoteRelease and base
Sixty-Four Inches Off the Ground, Turning a Full Circle
The second published figure that separates this machine from the BP1 is the 64 in. ball delivery height. Jugs states hitters see the pitch thrown from a realistic release point, and 64 in. is a shade over five feet, which puts the ball on a downward plane into the zone. The base under it swivels 360 degrees, so between rounds of batting practice the same machine turns to the outfield and throws fly balls, pop-ups and ground balls. At 75 lb. on a 16 in. pneumatic tire, one coach rolls it to wherever that drill needs to happen.
- 64 in. realistic ball delivery height, published by Jugs
- 360-degree swivel base for fly balls, pop-ups and ground balls
- 75 lb. machine weight, rolled into position by one person
- 16 in. pneumatic tire, single wheel
- Throws baseballs, JUGS Pearl, Sting-Free, Lite-Flite, Softie and Bulldog polyballs
64 in.360 degrees75 lb.
Compare
Six Jugs Baseball Pitching Machines
Six machines from one wheel to three. The Changeup Baseball is the cheapest way into remote changeups: the BP3 is the only other machine here that throws them.
Jugs BP1 BaseballThis single-wheel machine covers 15-70 mph at 75 lb and runs on 110V AC, the JUGS Complete Practice Battery Pack or the Yamaha EF2000iSv2 generator.15-70 mph75 lbAccepts tennis balls2-year warrantyShop the Jugs BP1 BaseballYou’re HereJugs Changeup BaseballA remote control drops this 75 lb single-wheel machine from 70 mph fastballs to 44 mph changeups mid-session, thrown from a 64 in. release height.70 mph fastballs44 mph changeups64 in. releaseRemote controlCurrently viewingJugs mini3 BaseballThe lightest three-wheel machine in this group at 95 lbs, it dials 8 pre-set pitches from 30-80 mph and fits in most car trunks.30-80 mph8 pre-set pitches95 lbs3 wheelsShop the Jugs mini3 BaseballJugs BP2 BaseballSix preset arm slot positions set the pitch angle on a 125 lb base, with speeds from 45-90 mph off a 64 in. release point.45-90 mph6 arm slot positions125 lb base64 in. releaseShop the Jugs BP2 BaseballJugs SP3 BaseballWidest speed span in this set at 25-90 mph, with 8 pitch types on the Select-A-Pitch dial and the Long Feed Chute standard.25-90 mph8 pitch types12 in. tires140 lbsShop the Jugs SP3 BaseballJugs BP3 BaseballNine preset pitches on the Select-A-Pitch dial from 40-90 mph, with handheld remote changeups that switch speed without giving the hitter a cue.40-90 mph9 preset pitchesRemote changeups2-year warrantyShop the Jugs BP3 Baseball
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Jugs publishes fastballs up to 70 mph and changeups as low as 44 mph. That is a 26 mph difference between the two pitches, arriving with nothing for the hitter to read in advance.With a handheld remote control. Jugs states you can change speeds virtually anywhere on the field, including near the machine, by the hitter, or even in the dugout. The change happens while the session is running, so the hitter stays in the box.15-70 mph. That is the range Jugs publishes for the machine as a whole. The 70 mph and 44 mph figures are the specific fastball and changeup speeds the manufacturer calls out for the changeup feature.64 in. Jugs publishes this as a realistic ball delivery height so hitters see the pitch thrown from a realistic release point. It is one of only three machines in this group of six with a published height, alongside the BP2 and the SP3.75 lb. Jugs states you simply roll the machine to your preferred position on the field, on its 16 in. pneumatic tire. It is one of the two lightest baseball machines in this lineup, tied with the BP1.Jugs lists baseballs, JUGS Pearl Baseballs, JUGS Sting-Free baseballs, JUGS Lite-Flite baseballs, JUGS Softie baseballs and JUGS Bulldog polyballs.Jugs publishes no power source on the current page for this machine. We are not printing one. Do not assume the JUGS Complete Practice Battery Pack and Yamaha generator listed for the BP1 apply here, and do not assume the Bluetti AC70P listed for the SP3 and BP3 applies either. Ask us to confirm the power requirement with Jugs before you order if you plan to run it away from a wall outlet.Jugs publishes no numbered pitch list for this machine beyond the fastball and the changeup. Its job is speed change, not break. For named breaking pitches, look at the mini3 (8 pre-set pitches), the BP2 (six arm slot positions), the SP3 (8 pitch types) or the BP3 (9 preset pitches, changeups included).Yes. The 360-degree swivel base gives full movement for fly balls, pop-ups and ground balls. Because the changeup circuit also changes how far a batted ball flies off the machine, the same base can throw at two different depths without being repositioned.Same 75 lb weight, same 16 in. pneumatic tire, same 15-70 mph published range, one wheel each. This machine adds the remote changeup down to 44 mph and publishes a 64 in. delivery height. The BP1 publishes named power options, a digital speed readout, tennis-ball compatibility and a carousel-feeder option that Jugs does not restate here.Both throw remote-controlled changeups; that is where the overlap ends. The BP3 is a three-wheel machine at 140 lbs running 40-90 mph with 9 preset pitches on a Select-A-Pitch dial, including curveballs, sliders, cutters and split-finger fastballs. This machine is 75 lb., one wheel, 15-70 mph, fastball and changeup. It is the portable, lower-speed way to run the same timing drill.
