Elko is the 385th former Northwoods League player to debut in MLB
Rochester, Minn. – Former Fond du Lac Dock Spider Tim Elko made his Major League debut on Saturday, May 10, 2025. Elko is the 385th former Northwoods League player to reach the Major League level.
Elko, who played collegiately at the University of Mississippi, played for the Dock Spiders in 2019 and 2020. He was drafted in the 10th round of the 2022 MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox.
In 2019 with the Dock Spiders, Elko played in 48 games and hit .297 with four home runs, 10 doubles, and 33 runs scored. He drove in 28 and stole six bases. In 2020 he appeared in 37 games and had eight home runs, two doubles, and 32 RBI.
Elko started his professional career in 2022 with the White Sox Rookie level team in the Arizona Complex League. After seven games he moved to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers of the Low-A Carolina League. Across 24 games with the two clubs, he hit .240 with five home runs, four doubles, and 16 RBI.
In 2023 Elko began the year in Kannapolis. After 66 games he moved up to the Winston-Salem Dash of the High-A South Atlantic League. He would play in 31 games with the Dash before another promotion, to end the season, to the Birmingham Barons of the Double-A Southern League. For the year, he played in 131 games and hit .295 with 28 home runs, 25 doubles, and four triples. He drove in 106 runs, scored 80 times, and had 38 walks.
Elko was in Birmingham again to begin the 2024 season. After 91 games he moved to the Charlotte Knights of the Triple-A International League. In 139 games between the two clubs, he hit .289 with 18 home runs, 23 doubles, and two triples. He stole three bases, scored 67 times, and drove in 73.
Prior to his call-up to the White Sox, Elko had started the season with the Knights. In 31 games he was hitting .348 with 10 home runs, 23 RBI and 20 runs scored. In his Major League debut against the Miami Marlins, Elko started the game at first base and went 0 for 3 at the plate. He would start at first again the next day and got his first Major League hit in the 6th inning, a three-run home run to left centerfield.
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Entering its’ 32nd season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 24 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, nearly 2400 NWL alums have been drafted and 385 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TOR), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford and World Series Champion and Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove, two-time Silver Slugger winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). League games are viewable live on Northwoods League+ (at watch.northwoodsleague.com), ESPN+, and the Northwoods League Network.