Who Owns JUGS Sports?

In 1970, John Paulson began looking for a pitching machine to help his two sons become better hitters. The machines available at the time had problems. They were heavy, prone to breaking, and could not throw realistic curveballs. Paulson, who had played semi-professional baseball, decided to build his own.

He purchased a patent covering the use of pneumatic tires to throw baseballs and added his own design ideas. The result was the JUGS Curveball Pitching Machine, named after the old-time baseball expression "jug-handle curve." The machine threw fastballs, sliders, and curveballs at adjustable speeds. It was durable, portable enough to fit in a car trunk, and could throw strikes consistently. Paulson recorded the first JUGS sale in February 1971.

The first JUGS advertisement appeared in the Collegiate Baseball Newsletter on January 7, 1972, with the headline "Baseball Practice Has a New Twist." Paulson introduced the product to college and high school coaches, and word spread quickly. The company claims that 94 percent of all baseball players entering professional baseball in the last 42 years have developed their skills using JUGS equipment.

John Paulson died in March 1984. He had been working on what he called "the ultimate pitching machine" at the time of his death. His sons, John Jr. and Butch, continued that project and produced a redesigned JUGS Curveball Pitching Machine. Butch Paulson, who grew up in Lake Oswego, Oregon, took over the company in his mid-20s and has led it for more than four decades.

The product line expanded well beyond the original curveball machine. JUGS now sells pitching machines across multiple price points and configurations. The JUGS BP3 Baseball Pitching Machine with Changeup is the company's most advanced model. It is a three-wheel machine that throws nine pitch types, including fastballs, changeups, right- and left-handed curveballs and sliders, right- and left-handed cutters, and split-finger fastballs. Speeds range from 40 to 90 mph. A handheld remote allows the operator to switch between fastballs and changeups without the hitter knowing, replicating the deception of a live pitcher.

The BP3 features a 3-inch LCD display, patented micro-adjustments for pitch location, and Grip-Tite 12-inch pneumatic tires that the company says last four times longer than solid tires. The machine delivers pitches at a realistic 64-inch height. JUGS also produces a softball version of the BP3 with a 45 to 75 mph speed range.

Beyond pitching machines, JUGS sells a range of training equipment. The product catalog includes batting cages, protective screens, hitting tees, ball feeders, and training balls. JUGS ball lines include the Sting-Free dimpled baseballs and softballs, Pearl baseballs, Lite-Flite balls, Softie balls, and Bulldog balls. The company also manufactures football passing machines and equipment for other sports.

The company has remained in Tualatin throughout its history. The Oregonian reported in 2016 that the assembly and shipping operation was staffed by a veteran team, many of whom had been with the company for years. The facility grew from 3,000 square feet to 44,000 square feet over the company's first four decades.

As of 2026, JUGS Sports has been in business for over 50 years. The company markets itself as the leading producer of baseball and softball pitching machines worldwide. It remains family-owned under Butch Paulson's leadership.