WHO IS WES BURTON?

Born and Raised in Santa Monica, CA, at just 14 years old, Burton founded Wes Custom Kicks, a bespoke sneaker and athletic shoe design and customization business serving primarily professional athletes. Within 6 months of receiving a $500 startup loan, WCK had assembled a fully stocked workshop, was debt-free, and began turning a profit, all while OPERATING ALMOST ENTIRELY FROM ITS Instagram page (@WesCustomKicks).

Person holding a black soccer cleat with 'HOLLYWOOD' written on it, indoors with shelves and a window in the background, photo labeled LA Adizero.
Table display of sneaker shoes stored in boxes, with a sign that reads 'Wes Custom Kicks' and contact information, indicating a sneaker customization booth at SneakerCon.

Wes Burton is a professional baseball player, creative consultant, AND mentor.

Green camouflage cleats decorated as a shark, with a painted jaw and eye, on a display table outdoors, with a handwritten sign that reads 'Warhawk Cleats For Bucxer'.
A young man in a red hoodie and a baseball cap with a red 'M' logo, sitting at a table, signing a document during a National Signing Day event. The background has a Windward banner, and there is a black chair with Windward branding.
A young baseball player in a white and blue uniform pitching on a baseball field with a large blue W logo in the background. The photo has a white border with the caption 'Windward '19' written at the bottom.
A group of young baseball players in team uniforms posing together outdoors, some kneeling and some standing, with a bright sky in the background. A few are wearing sunglasses and caps with a C logo. The photo has a white frame with the handwritten text "Canes Jupiter 2018" at the bottom.

Burton prepped at Windward School in Mar Vista where he pitched to a 1.19 ERA his senior year. Between his standout performances at school and with the Evoshield Canes, he attracted interest from MLB organizations, but ultimately chose to honor his commitment to Ole Miss.

A baseball player in Los Angeles Dodgers gear receiving a pair of shoes during a delivery at the baseball stadium.
Two men smiling at a TaylorMade event, holding golf-related items, with a TaylorMade display and TV in the background.

Starting with a direct message to dodgers’ kike hernandez over the 2015 All Star Break, WCK’s MLB roster grew from 2 to 20 in less than 2 years. WCK would go on to partner with TaylorMade Golf to design and produce customized golf club headcovers for 6 of TaylorMade's sponsored PGA Tour players, including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, Jon Rahm, and Beau Hossler. Wes Custom Kicks closed up shop in 2019 upon Wes’ enrollment at Ole Miss, having generated nearly $100,000 in revenue and creating artwork for over 50 professional athletes.

A Polaroid-style photo with the caption "PitchingNinja Debut" written at the bottom. The photo features a screenshot of a Twitter post by Rob Friedman, dated February 16, 2020, discussing Wes Burton's joke about the fine line between a psychopath and a pitcher, with the words "Love it" and a flame emoji.
An Ole Miss baseball player in uniform signing autographs for a group of children at the SEC Tournament 2021.
Young baseball player in Mississippi uniform celebrating on the field during a game against LSU in 2021.
A baseball player in a light blue uniform with red sleeves and a red cap, holding a glove, standing on the field during a game with spectators sitting in the background.

In 3 years at Ole Miss, Burton pitched to a career 4.1 ERA, while FINISHING 2021 2ND in all of NCAA Division 1 in Strikeout Rate. Burton attracted significant attention online for his intensity on the mound, frequently being featured on @PitchingNinja on social media - this led to numerous NIL opportunities, including deals with Driveline Baseball, Rapsodo, and D1Baseball, among others. Burton’s time at Ole Miss culminated in the University’s 1st National Championship in 2022, during which time he graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing.

A young man in a graduation gown and cap smiling and shaking hands with an older man during graduation ceremony, with others seated in the background, and "Graduation 2022" written at the bottom.
Wes Burton wearing Ole Miss jersey walks through Walk of Champions in the Grove at Ole Miss at the 2022 National Championship ring ceremony

Following a stint in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League, Burton grad-transferred to Indiana University, where his 3.86 ERA helped lead the Hoosiers to the 2023 NCAA Lexington Regional Final. Burton graduated from Indiana with a Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning Practices, with an eye towards educating and coaching in the age of remote learning and coaching.

Two young men in Indiana baseball uniforms shaking hands on a baseball field, one holding a framed jersey, during Senior Day 2023.
A group of Indiana Hoosiers baseball players celebrating on the field, with a focus on a smiling player wearing the jersey number 55, in a stadium setting on a sunny day, with a sign reading 'Go Hoosiers!'
A baseball player in a white and red uniform stands on the pitcher's mound during a game, with a green outfield and trees in the background.
Group of children and adults standing on a baseball field with a black fence, under a blue sky with some clouds, some children wearing masks, with text on the photo that reads "Lost Boyz Inc <3".

While negotiating with MLB organizations to sign as a Free Agent in the summer of 2023, Burton entered the transfer portal, ultimately choosing to pursue a Master’s of Sport Studies at Tulane University while aiming to improve his draft stock as a starting pitcher. Following a dominant 2023 fall intrasquad season, Burton underwent Tommy John Surgery to repair a torn UCL.

Photo of young men in baseball uniforms with green, yellow, purple, and white stripes, some wearing white caps, gathered on a field, smiling and talking, with a black background and a white border with the handwritten text "Roll Wave".
Young man in a hospital bed giving a thumbs up, with an arm cast and bandages, and a baseball with the number 1 on it, in a hospital room. Text reads 'Tommy John 12/6/23'.

During his recovery from tommy john surgery, burton put his creativity to work for tulane baseball. he created photo and video content, managed @greenwavebsb on socials, and lead creative strategy on route to an aac championship and ncaa regional appearance. Burton’s work for Tulane Baseball earned him an opportunity to work with Tulane Football, serving as an Executive Producer for Tulane Football’s show Welcome to Uptown as well as creating social media content for @GreenWaveFB. Burton’s weekly uniform reveal content for social media generated TENS OF thousands of dollars in estimated brand value.

Group of football players and fans on the field, with one player carrying the ball, in green and white uniforms, at Tulane University, with a photographer in a blue shirt holding a camera, on a university football field.
Spectators watching a sports game at WSU, sitting in blue stadium chairs, with a photographer taking pictures of the event.

Burton returned to the mound after 441 days in the spring of 2025 at Tulane, earning an opportunity in the highly-scouted MLB Draft League, where he led the league in Strikeout Rate (55%) and saves while pitching to a 1.54 ERA and leading the West Virginia Black Bears to the 2025 MLB Draft League Championship. Burton completed his Master of Science in Sport Studies from Tulane in December of 2025 and is HOPING to sign with an MLB organization this offseason.

A young man sitting on a bench taking a selfie with a camera, wearing sportswear, with backpacks nearby, against a green wall.
A baseball player in a green Tulane uniform with the number 55 is pitching on a baseball field. The photo has a Polaroid-style border with the handwritten caption "Tulane Spring '25."
Wes celebrating Draft League championship - CutRide by WB About Wes
A baseball player in a blue jersey with the number 36 is pitching on a baseball field at night. The photo has a caption that says "Black Bears 2025".
A young male baseball pitcher in a dark uniform and cap on a baseball field, mid-pitch with his glove on his left hand and his knee lifted. The photo is styled like a Polaroid with the handwritten caption "West Virginia Summer '25" at the bottom.

In February of 2026, Burton signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Guardians Organization and was named to Great Britain’s Designated Pitcher Pool for the World Baseball Classic.