About the Iron Mike MP-5 Pitching Machine
The Iron Mike MP-5 is an arm-style baseball pitching machine that brings the realistic overhand delivery of the larger Iron Mike models into a slimmer, more portable frame. A mechanical arm winds up and releases every pitch, so hitters time their swing off a visible arm action instead of a ball that appears from a spinning wheel. With an adjustable speed range of 25 to 80+ MPH, a 38-baseball capacity, a built-in remote with an 80 ft cord and a 4-wheel transport system, the MP-5 is built for individual baseball training: a strong starting point for a new training program, or an addition to an existing lineup of equipment.
It is a true Iron Mike with the benefits of the bigger machines, scaled to a lower ball capacity for players and coaches who do not need a 600-ball hopper. It can also pitch fastpitch and slow pitch softball with additional hands, covered in detail below. Every MP-5 is built to order and made in the USA, and ships in about 12-14 weeks.
Timing Off a Real Arm: The Iron Mike Delivery
Hitting a baseball is a timing problem. A batter loads, strides and commits to a swing based on what the pitcher's arm is doing, long before the ball is halfway to the plate. The Iron Mike arm and hand system gives hitters that same cue. The arm rotates through a full overhand wind-up and lets the ball go from a release point the batter can see, so players practice reading the arm, starting the load on time and triggering the swing, the same sequence they use against a live pitcher.
That visual rhythm is what separates arm-style machines from wheel machines for timing work. A wheel machine feeds a ball into spinning wheels and it simply appears, which forces hitters to react to the ball alone. With the MP-5, each pitch has a beginning, a middle and a release. Hitters can build a repeatable stride-and-load routine in the cage and carry it straight into games, and coaches can watch whether a player is early, late or on time against a delivery that looks like baseball.
The design has a long history. Paul Giovagnoli built his first pitching machines from junkyard parts in 1952 and introduced the production Iron Mike in 1953, and he founded Master Pitching Machine, based in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1976. The MP-5 carries that same arm-style approach in a slimmer frame.
The arm also repeats the same motion pitch after pitch. Instead of a tired batting practice thrower whose release drifts as the session goes on, the hitter sees the same delivery from the first swing to the last, which makes it easier to isolate one fix at a time.
Adjustable 25 to 80+ MPH for Every Stage of a Baseball Player
The MP-5 throws from 25 to 80+ MPH, a range that covers a young player taking first cage swings through a high school or college hitter tuning up for upper-level velocity. One machine can follow a player for years: start slow to groove mechanics and build confidence, then raise the speed as bat speed and pitch recognition improve.
The wide range is also useful within a single baseball session. Hitters can warm up at a comfortable speed, work through their main round near game velocity, then finish with a few rounds above it to make the game feel slower. At the low end, the same machine handles bunting practice and simple contact drills for younger players.
The Slimmest Full-Size Iron Mike, Built to Move
The MP-5 is the slimmest full-size machine in the Iron Mike line. At 30 inches wide, it is 14 inches narrower than the 44-inch-wide MP-6, which matters when you are rolling a machine through a gate, a garage door or a narrow cage entrance. The included 4-wheel transport system is designed for one-person portability, so a single coach or parent can move it into position for a baseball practice and roll it back into storage afterward without recruiting a crew.
Portability is the core of how this machine is designed. Larger hopper machines are built to sit in one place and feed hundreds of balls to a team. The MP-5 is meant to go where the hitter is: the backyard cage on weeknights, the high school field on the weekend, the indoor facility in winter. It still carries a full-size Iron Mike arm, so moving it around does not mean giving up the realistic delivery.
Plan for its size and weight when you set it up. The machine stands 56 inches tall, is 55 inches long and has a shipping weight of 530 lbs, so it arrives as serious equipment and should be placed on firm, level ground.
Control the Session From the Plate
A built-in remote control on an 80 ft cord lets the operator start and stop the MP-5 from the batter's area or from a coaching position behind a protective screen. A player training alone can control the machine without walking back to it between rounds, and a coach can pause the machine to make a correction and restart it the moment the hitter is set.
When the session is over, the lockable arm cover closes off the arm. That is useful for any machine that lives in a shared space, such as a backyard where younger siblings play or a school facility where several teams come and go.
Baseball First, With Softball Options for the Iron Mike MP-5
The MP-5 is set up for baseball, and it can also pitch fastpitch softball and slow pitch softball. Converting between sports is not a switch on the control panel: additional hands are needed to change between baseball, fastpitch softball and slow pitch softball, and slow pitch softball also requires an additional ball stop. Those hands and the ball stop are separate parts and are not included with the machine. All three styles throw with an overhand motion, so the MP-5 does not replicate an underhand windmill delivery for fastpitch hitters.
Capacity changes with the ball as well: the machine holds 38 baseballs or 28 softballs. For households or programs with both baseball and softball players, this flexibility can let one machine serve more than one athlete, as long as you budget for the conversion parts.
Ball Feed Enhancer for Seamed Baseballs
The optional Ball Feed Enhancer, sold separately, is built for use with the MP-5 to make sure seamed balls flow properly, pitch after pitch. If you plan to run seamed baseballs through the machine, it is worth adding to your order so the feed stays consistent through a full round. If you would rather skip seamed balls, dimpled machine baseballs are another option, such as the Iron Mike yellow dimpled baseballs sold by the dozen.
Who the Iron Mike MP-5 Is For
- Individual baseball players who want realistic arm-style timing work at home or at a local field without the footprint of a team machine.
- Families with a backyard or garage cage who need a machine one person can move and store, and that can grow with a player from 25 MPH up past 80 MPH.
- Private hitting instructors who travel between facilities or work one-on-one and need a full-size Iron Mike that fits through standard doorways.
- High school and travel baseball programs adding a second machine to an existing lineup, so a station can run individual work while the main machine handles team rounds.
- Households or programs with baseball and softball players who are willing to add the extra hands, and the ball stop for slow pitch, needed to convert.
One limit to know: the MP-5 is a training machine and is not equipped with the controls needed for a commercial batting cage where the general public operates the equipment.
Training Applications
Because the arm gives a visible timing cue, the MP-5 supports more than straight batting practice. A few ways baseball players and coaches put it to work:
- Load and stride timing: have the hitter start the load as the arm begins its wind-up and land the stride before release. Watching the arm teaches a consistent trigger that transfers to live pitching.
- Velocity ladders: run short rounds that step up in speed, for example 5 MPH at a time, so hitters learn to shorten their move as the ball gets faster without changing their mechanics.
- Overspeed rounds: finish a session a few MPH above game speed. When the machine drops back down, game pitching looks slower and easier to track.
- Approach and direction work: with a repeatable delivery, hitters can focus on one goal per round, such as driving the ball to the opposite field or staying on top of the ball.
- Bunting: at the low end of the speed range, players can practice sacrifice and drag bunt technique against a real-looking delivery.
- Catcher receiving: catchers can work on receiving and framing a steady stream of pitches without needing a pitcher to throw a full bullpen.
With a 38-baseball capacity, rounds are naturally sized for focused individual work. Load the machine, take a purposeful round, collect the balls and reset, which builds in recovery time between rounds and keeps every swing intentional.
Iron Mike MP-5 Specifications
- Model: Iron Mike MP-5 pitching machine
- Delivery: Iron Mike arm and hand system, arm-style overhand wind-up and release
- Pitch speed: adjustable, 25 to 80+ MPH
- Ball capacity: 38 baseballs or 28 softballs
- Sports: baseball; fastpitch softball and slow pitch softball with additional hands (slow pitch also requires an additional ball stop)
- Throwing motion: overhand for all ball types
- Controls: built-in remote control with 80 ft cord
- Transport: 4-wheel transport system for one-person portability
- Arm protection: lockable arm cover
- Dimensions: 56 in H x 30 in W x 55 in L
- Shipping weight: 530 lbs
- Optional accessory: Ball Feed Enhancer for seamed balls (sold separately)
- Use: personal and team training; not equipped for commercial batting cages operated by the public
- Made in the USA
- Built to order: ships in about 12-14 weeks
What Is Included
- Iron Mike MP-5 pitching machine, set up for baseball
- Built-in remote control with 80 ft cord
- 4-wheel transport system
- Lockable arm cover
Not included: the additional hands needed to convert to fastpitch or slow pitch softball, the additional ball stop for slow pitch softball, the Ball Feed Enhancer, and baseballs. Each is sold separately.
Iron Mike MP-5 Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the Iron Mike MP-5 and the MP-6?
Both use the Iron Mike arm and hand system, throw 25 to 80+ MPH, include a built-in remote with an 80 ft cord and a lockable arm cover, and are made in the USA. The difference is capacity and footprint. The Iron Mike MP-6 has a 600-baseball (400-softball) hopper, hold-down clips for permanent installation and reinforcement for heavy usage, and it measures 44 inches wide. The MP-5 holds 38 baseballs, is 30 inches wide and comes with a 4-wheel transport system. Choose the MP-6 for team rounds from a fixed position, and the MP-5 for individual training and a machine that moves.
How does the MP-5 compare to the Iron Mike C-82?
The Iron Mike C-82 is a compact youth machine that throws 20 to 60 MPH, holds 28 baseballs and uses a 2-wheel transport system. It is not recommended for high school baseball or fastpitch softball programs, and its remote is an add-on rather than standard. The MP-5 is a full-size machine that reaches 80+ MPH with a built-in remote, so it suits players who are approaching or already at high school velocity, or younger players whose families want a machine they will not outgrow.
Can the MP-5 pitch softballs?
Yes, with additional parts. The MP-5 can pitch fastpitch softball and slow pitch softball, but additional hands are needed to convert between baseball, fastpitch and slow pitch, and slow pitch also requires an additional ball stop. These parts are not included. Every style throws with an overhand motion, and the machine holds 28 softballs.
Does the MP-5 have a hopper?
No. The MP-5 holds 38 baseballs or 28 softballs, which is sized for individual rounds rather than continuous team batting practice. If you need hundreds of balls between reloads, look at the MP-6, which holds 600 baseballs.
Can I use real seamed baseballs in the MP-5?
Seamed baseballs can be used, and the optional Ball Feed Enhancer, sold separately, is built for the MP-5 to keep seamed balls flowing properly pitch after pitch. Dimpled machine baseballs are another option if you would rather not run seamed balls.
Can one person move the MP-5?
Yes. The 4-wheel transport system is designed for one-person portability, and at 30 inches wide it is the slimmest full-size Iron Mike. With a shipping weight of 530 lbs it is still a substantial machine, so roll it over firm, even ground.
Can the MP-5 be used in a commercial batting cage?
No. Training machines like the MP-5 are equipped with a remote control for personal training and are not equipped with the controls needed for commercial batting cage use where the general public operates the equipment. It is built for players, coaches, instructors and programs running supervised training.
