Jose Bautista has become one of the most exciting players in MLB after hitting 54 home runs last season and leading the league at the All-Star break this year with 31 homers, and New Balance has taken notice by signing the Blue Jays star to an endorsement deal. The company will be the official on-field footwear and off-field athletic footwear and apparel provider for Bautista, who set a record this season for most All-Star votes in MLB history with more than 7.45 million. Bautista wore a custom designed version of New Balance’s 1103 cleat last night during the Home Run Derby and will wear a second version during tonight’s All-Star Game. New Balance is not planning a signature shoe for Bautista, though he is wearing a version of the 1103 cleat during the season that features “Bautista” and his number “19” on the tongue. New Balance GM of Sports Marketing Mark Cavanaugh said Bautista will be “a key brand athlete in all of our New Balance baseball plans moving forward,” as he will be “intimately involved in our product design and development process.” In addition to the Bautista deal, New Balance this season signed a sponsorship agreement with the Red Sox, and also has individual deals with 3B Kevin Youkilis and 2B Dustin Pedroia. Cavanaugh said the company’s progress in MLB is “part of a larger initiative to be the number one baseball footwear brand at all levels of the game." Bautista is repped by Proformance Sport's Bean Stringfellow.
