December 18, 2012
Dalton Pompey states that he was honored to be drafted by his hometown team, the Toronto Blue Jays, in the 16th round of the 2010 MLB Draft. (Daniel Jarrett / MLB Prospect Portal)
Every young baseball player dreams of making it to professional baseball with their favorite team, but very few ever get the opportunity.
However, for Mississauga-native Dalton Pompey that dream was a reality as he was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 16th round of the 2010 MLB Draft.
Pompey told JaysProspects how happy he was not only being chosen by the Blue Jays, but also in being the first player ever drafted out of John Fraser Secondary School, “It was a dream come true. I was pretty excited!” said the recently-turned 20-year-old. “I was honored to be chosen by the hometown team and excited for the opportunity to play professional baseball.”
“I was a Blue Jays fan my whole life and I went to games whenever I would get the chance. I really never thought in my wildest dreams that I would have the chance to play with them,” he added.
Pompey joined the Lansing Lugnuts in late August shortly before the Midwest League playoffs and although he only played five regular season games in Lansing he was the only switch hitter to play a game for the Lugnuts the entire season. “When I was in the womb my mother read me a book about being a switch hitter. That, in addition to my father’s help in getting me to bat from both sides of the plate, worked.”
“I am able to bat comfortably from either side of the plate, though I have more power on the left side,” he said.
While his switch-hitting ability was inserted early into his life, Pompey’s journey to the outfield came later in childhood, “When I was younger, I used to play shortstop and I used to pitch as well, but they needed kids to play in the outfield and not many kids wanted to play there so I volunteered. I’ve been there ever since and I’m glad I made the transition,” he said.
The young outfielder began his professional career with the GCL Blue Jays in 2010 batting .191 with nine hits, two home runs, five RBIs, and four stolen bases. What was special about those two home runs, however, was that they were both hit in the same game. “The game against the GCL Atlanta Braves was a game I will never forget as I hit two home runs!,” he said. “Hitting one home run is a great day for me but two was unreal!”
“It’s a game I will never forget!”
In his rookie season with the GCL Blue Jays, Pompey utilized his speed to its full potential, displaying solid outfield defense and successfully stealing 23 stolen bases in 24 opportunities. (Scott Tidlund/Flickr)
Pompey would return to the GCL before being moved up to the Bluefield Blue Jays in 2011 batting .239 with ten doubles, two triples, five homeruns, 17 RBIs, and 23 stolen bases between the two teams, “My time in Bluefield was great, the area was nice and we had a great team! The playoff run was fun and definitely very exciting!”
Before making his aforementioned debut with the Lansing Lugnuts in 2012, Pompey started the season splitting time between the Bluefield Blue Jays and Vancouver Canadians. Appearing in only 20 games between the three teams due to a hand injury that limited his playing time, the young Canadian batted .286 with four doubles, three triples, eight RBIs, and five stolen bases. “Vancouver is awesome, there is an incredible atmosphere there and great people. It was an unbelievable time,” he said, adding, “I wish I could’ve gone back there, but obviously I wanted to move up to Lansing. Lansing was also an amazing experience. I [was just] happy to be able to help the team in any way I [could].”
One of the ways that Pompey has been able to help his team, is through fully utilizing his speed, a tool Pompey credits a lot of his early success in regards to both his defense and offense. “Speed is a big part of my game and is a skill I can always count on, but to be honest,I like to view myself as a 5-tool player. I can run, throw, field my position well and hit for average and power. I’m looking forward to refining my tools and becoming an even stronger player in the future!”
To see just a snip-bit of Pompey’s tools, watch him in this video. In a Blue Jays’ exhibition game against Team Canada during Spring Training, Pompey hitting a double, showing his speed and his patience at the plate. (Special thanks to MLBProspectPortal for the video!).