Ryan Ritter with the Rockies, Kyle Teel with the White Sox and Otto Kemp with the Phillies
Rochester, Minn. – Former Fond du Lac Dock Spider Ryan Ritter debuted on June 6 and Wisconsin Rapids Rafter Kyle Teel, and St. Cloud Rox infielder Otto Kemp made their Major League debuts on June 7. Ritter is the 394th former Northwoods League player to debut in MLB while Teel is number 395 and Kemp is number 396.
Ritter, who played collegiately at the University of Kentucky, played for the Dock Spiders in 2020. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies.
In 2020 with Fond du Lac, Ritter played in 29 games and hit .259 with five doubles and 19 RBI.
Ritter spent four seasons in the Rockies system where he played in 270 games and hit .284 with 48 home runs, 59 doubles, and 10 triples. He drove in 166, stole 42 bases, and scored 200 times.
In his Major League debut against the New York Mets, Ritter started the game at shortstop and went 1 for 4 at the plate.
Kyle Teel, who played collegiately at the University of Virginia, played for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters in 2020 and 2021. He was drafted in the 1st round, 14th overall, of the 2023 MLB draft by the Boston Red Sox.
In 2020 with the Rafters, Teel played in 31 games and hit .258 with three home runs, four doubles, and 18 RBI. He stole two bases and scored 16 times. During the 2021 season he appeared in 14 games and had one home run, two doubles, and one triple. He drove in 10 and stole two bases.
Teel spent two seasons in the Red Sox system before being traded to the White Sox in December of 2024. Across 188 games in the Minor Leagues Teel was hitting .300 with 23 home runs, 39 doubles, and one triple. He had driven in 130, stolen 22 bases, and scored 137 times.
In his Major League debut against the Kansas City Royals, Teel started the game at designated hitter and went 2 for 4 at the plate. He was also joined in the White Sox starting lineup by former Kokomo Jackrabbit Chase Meidroth and Fond du Lac alum Tim Elko.
Otto Kemp, who played collegiately at Point Lomo Nazarene University, played for the St. Cloud Rox in 2021. He was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an undrafted free agent in 2022. In 2021 with the Rox, Kemp played in 59 games and hit .306 with six home runs, four triples, and 16 doubles. He drove in 42, scored 53 times, and stole seven bases. Kemp was also named the 2021 NWL Star of Stars (MVP) of the annual Northwoods League All-Star Game.
Kemp spent four seasons in the Phillies system where he played in 306 games and hit .272. He drove in 177, scored 212 times, and hit 37 home runs. He also stole 54 bases.
In his Major League debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kemp started the game at third base and went 0 for 3 at the plate.
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in 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 over 395 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.