There are moments in a baseball player’s career where you just have to stop and soak in the surroundings. For Kellan Burke, that moment might be July 8th as he represents the Minot Hot Tots at the Field of Dreams during the Northwoods League All-Star Game. Per the Northwoods League release on Monday, Burke was selected to the 2026 Northwoods League All-Star as outfielder for the Great Plains division.
Kellan’s first summer in the Northwoods League got off to a great start in May and early June. Burke’s highly anticipated return to his old stomping grounds of Corbett Field began with a home run on Opening Day. He hit .272 through the first two weeks of the season and added three doubles, a triple and two home runs during that early-season stretch.
Over the first half of the season, Burke has played in 27 games for the Hot Tots, holding down the right field starting spot on an everyday basis.
“Kellan is a rare mix of speed and power,” said field manager Brian Lewis. “He goes and gets the ball in the gaps with the best of them and possesses a strong, accurate arm.”
He has held up a .350 on-base percentage and a .703 OPS at the plate. He only missed a handful of games at the end of June as he made a commitment to the University of Nebraska that will follow his playing career at Cloud County Community College.
“He plays with a toughness that a lot of young players have not yet developed,” Lewis added.
More than his statistics, Burke has added some city-wide buzz to the team as the first player with Minot roots to play for the Tots. His local legacy will only continue to grow as he dons Hot Tot blue and red at the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa.
Minot Hot Tots general manager Monica Blake said Burke’s selection is “another testament to the hard work he’s put in and the impact he’s made on our team.”
Burke was the lone Hot Tot selected for this year’s NWL All-Star Game and continues the trend of position players representing the Hot Tots at the event. Four of the five Hot Tot All-Stars all-time have been position players and all four were outfielders.
This year’s Northwoods League All-Star rosters were crafted in a new way this season. Rather than a coach and front office vote by each of the league’s teams, a statistics-driven model was developed by the NWL and a panel of MLB scouts to determine each division’s 26-player roster.
Burke will play for Northwoods League bragging rights as the Great Plains clash with the Great Lakes at the Field of Dreams movie site for the 2026 Northwoods League All-Star Game. The All-Star festivities begin on Tuesday, July 7 with the Home Run Challenge and will finish with the All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 8 with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 pm CT. Both events can be seen live streaming on NWL+.
