Dalton Pompey

Dalton Kenrick Pompey (born December 11, 1992) is a Canadian professional baseball center fielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays. After five seasons in the minor leagues, Pompey made his MLB debut on September 2, 2014, becoming only the sixth player born in Ontario to play for the Blue Jays.[1]

Dalton Pompey
Pompey in 2015
Free agent
Center fielder
Born: (1992-12-11) December 11, 1992
Mississauga, Ontario
Bats: Switch Throws: Right
MLB debut
September 2, 2014, for the Toronto Blue Jays
MLB statistics
(through 2018 Season)
Batting average.221
Home runs3
Runs batted in10
Teams

Professional career

Minor leagues

Pompey was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 16th round of the 2010 MLB draft out of John Fraser Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario.[2] He made his professional debut for the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays that season, hitting .191 with two home runs and five runs batted in (RBI) in 11 games.[3] Pompey spent 2011 with the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays and Bluefield Blue Jays. Overall, he played in 60 games and hit .239 with five home runs, 17 RBI, and 23 stolen bases.[3]

Pompey played in only 20 games in 2012 due to a broken left hand.[4] Splitting time with Bluefield, the Vancouver Canadians, and the Lansing Lugnuts, he hit .286 with eight RBI and five stolen bases.[3] He returned to Lansing in 2013 to play in 115 games, and finished the year batting .261 with six home runs, 40 RBI, and 38 stolen bases.[3] After the season, he was awarded a minor league Gold Glove Award, playing the full season without recording an error.[5][3]

Pompey started the 2014 season with the Dunedin Blue Jays, and was named to the 2014 All-Star Futures Game on June 24, 2014.[6] Up to his selection to the team, he had posted a .313/.392/.460 triple-slash line in 67 games, along with six home runs and 27 stolen bases.[7] Pompey was promoted to the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats on June 27, 2014,[8] and to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons on August 20.[9] On August 26, the Blue Jays organization announced that Pompey would play for the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League at the completion of the 2014 season.[10] He finished the 2014 minor league season with a .313 batting average, nine home runs, 52 RBI, and 43 stolen bases in 112 games played.[3] On September 3, Pompey was named to Baseball America's Second Team All-Stars for 2014.[11]

Toronto Blue Jays

On September 1, 2014, Pompey was announced as one of the Blue Jays' September call-ups.[12] He made his MLB debut against the Tampa Bay Rays on September 2 as a pinch-runner for Edwin Encarnación.[1] After three additional appearances as a pinch-runner, Pompey had his first at-bat on September 10 against the Chicago Cubs and earned an RBI on a groundout to first base. On September 19, Pompey recorded his first Major League hit, a single to right-field against New York Yankees starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda.[13] Three days later he earned his first MLB multi-hit game and run in a 14–4 win over the Seattle Mariners.[14] Pompey would hit his first career home run, a solo shot to right field, off Mariners ace Félix Hernández the following day.[15] Playing against the Baltimore Orioles on September 26, Pompey had the best game of his young career, posting two runs scored and two RBI by hitting his first double and two triples, finishing the night 3–4. He became the third Blue Jays rookie to record two triples in one game, and first since Alex Ríos in 2005.[16]

Prior to the start of the 2015 season, MLB named Pompey the number two prospect in the Blue Jays' organization, the 7th best outfield prospect in baseball,[17] and the 43rd overall prospect on their top 100 list.[18] Pompey opened the 2015 season as the starting centre fielder for the Blue Jays. He struggled to open the season, batting just .193 through 23 games, and on May 2 he was optioned back to Triple-A Buffalo.[19] After continuing to struggle at the Triple-A level, Pompey was sent down to Double-A New Hampshire on June 6.[20] On September 1, Pompey was called up by the Blue Jays.[21] He appeared in 34 games for the Blue Jays in the 2015 regular season, and batted .223 with two home runs, six RBI, and five stolen bases.[22] Pompey was on the Blue Jays postseason roster, appearing mostly as a pinch runner. In five postseason games, he recorded a single in his lone at-bat, as well as four stolen bases.[22]

Pompey attended 2016 Major League spring training, and was optioned to minor league camp on March 18.[23] He played with the Buffalo Bisons until September 1, when he was called up by the Blue Jays.[24] Pompey played in eight games for the Blue Jays in 2016, mostly as a pinch runner. He scored three runs and stole two bases.[22] He was added to the Wild Card roster but did not play in the game.[25] Pompey was not on the Division Series roster, but was added to the Championship Series roster on October 14.[26]

During the 2017 World Baseball Classic, Pompey suffered a concussion and was subsequently placed on the 60-day disabled list by the Toronto Blue Jays. He did not make an appearance with Toronto during the 2017 season.

On July 23, 2019, Pompey was designated for assignment.[27] He became a free agent following the 2019 season.[28]

Arizona Diamondbacks

Pompey signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on February 24, 2020, and was released in late May.[29]

International career

Pompey was selected to the Canada national baseball team at the 2017 World Baseball Classic,[30] 2019 Pan American Games Qualifier,[31] and 2019 WBSC Premier12.[32]

Personal life

Pompey's parents are Ken and Valerie Pompey, who taught him to switch-hit at age 3.[2] He has a brother, Tristan, and a sister, Kayla.[33] Tristan is also a professional baseball player.[34]

References
  1. Kennedy, Brendan (September 2, 2014). "Blue Jays; Mississauga's Dalton Pompey joins team amid breakout year". thestar.com. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
  2. Lott, John (March 17, 2012). "Jays' prospect Dalton Pompey thankful for father's persistence". National Post. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  3. "Dalton Pompey Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  4. Raymundo, Vinia (March 4, 2013). "Blue Jays' prospect Dalton Pompey healthy, excited for upcoming season". torontoobserver.ca. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  5. Smoker, Jeremy (October 1, 2013). "Lugnuts' Pompey wins Gold Glove Award". MiLB.com. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  6. Mayo, Jonathan (June 24, 2014). "Big league power highlights Futures Game rosters". MLB.com. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  7. Lott, John (June 24, 2014). "Toronto Blue Jays prospects Daniel Norris, Dalton Pompey picked for Futures Game". National Post. Archived from the original on June 24, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  8. Davidi, Shi (June 27, 2014). "Jays promote highly-touted Pompey to double-A". Sportsnet. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  9. "Bisons add Pompey, Hague to roster". Buffalo Bisons. August 20, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  10. "Dalton Pompey and others headed to the Arizona Fall League". jaysjournal.com. August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  11. Eddy, Matt (September 3, 2014). "Minor League All-Star Team 2014". Baseball America. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  12. Davidi, Shi (September 1, 2014). "Pompey, Norris among 9 called up by Blue Jays". Sportsnet. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  13. Collier, Jamal (September 19, 2014). "Pompey gets first hit, receives congratulations from Jeter". MLB.com. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  14. Israel, Fehr (September 22, 2014). "Jose Bautista and Dalton Pompey put on defensive show in Blue Jays outfield (VIDEO)". yahoo.com. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  15. Ross, Jamie (September 23, 2014). "Blue Jays' playoff hopes end despite rout of Mariners". MLB.com. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  16. Ross, Jamie (September 26, 2014). "Pompey stars with incredible all-around performance". MLB.com. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  17. Cahill, Teddy (January 29, 2015). "2015 Prospect Watch: Top 10 outfielders". MLB.com. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  18. Chisholm, Gregor (January 30, 2015). "Norris leads Blue Jays' Top 100 Prospects quartet". MLB.com. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  19. Singh, David (May 2, 2015). "Blue Jays send Pompey, Albers to triple-A Buffalo". Sportsnet. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  20. "Buffalo Bisons on Twitter". Twitter. June 6, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
  21. Nicholson-Smith, Ben (September 1, 2015). "Blue Jays promote five players as rosters expand". Sportsnet. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  22. "Dalton Pompey Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  23. Chisholm, Gregor (March 18, 2016). "Pompey among 4 Blue Jays reassigned". MLB.com. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  24. Davidi, Shi (September 1, 2016). "Pompey headlines Blue Jays' early September call-ups". Sportsnet. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
  25. Nicholson-Smith, Ben (October 3, 2016). "Blue Jays go pitching-heavy for wild-card game roster". Sportsnet. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  26. Chisholm, Gregor (October 14, 2016). "Liriano, Travis included on Blue Jays' ALCS roster". MLB.com. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
  27. "Blue Jays designate Canadian OF Pompey for assignment". TSN. July 23, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  28. Matt Eddy (November 7, 2019). "Minor League Free Agents 2019". Baseball America. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  29. "Trio of former Jays among D-Backs cuts". TSN.ca. June 1, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  30. "Blue Jays' Dalton Pompey looking forward to his first WBC - Sportsnet.ca".
  31. "Baseball Canada announces roster for Pan Am Games Qualifier". Baseball Canada. January 9, 2019. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  32. "Baseball Canada reveals 2019 WBSC Premier12® roster". Baseball Canada. October 8, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
  33. Kennedy, Brendan (September 2, 2014). "Blue Jays: Mississauga's Dalton Pompey joins team amid breakout year". thestar.com. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  34. "Marlins draft Pompey, add arms on Day 2".
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