Dalton Pompey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dalton Pompey |
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Pompey with the Toronto Blue Jays
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| Guelph Royals | |||
| Center fielder | |||
| Born: December 11, 1992 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada |
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| debut | |||
| September 2, 2014, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2018 season) |
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| Batting average | .221 | ||
| Home runs | 3 | ||
| Runs batted in | 10 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Dalton Kenrick Pompey (born December 11, 1992) is a Canadian professional baseball player. He plays as a center fielder for the Guelph Royals. This team is part of the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL). Dalton also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays.
After playing in minor leagues for five seasons, Dalton made his MLB debut on September 2, 2014. He was one of the few players born in Ontario to play for the Blue Jays. He left the team in 2019 and played for several others. Dalton retired from baseball in 2022. However, he re-joined the Guelph Royals in 2024.
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Dalton Pompey's Baseball Journey
Starting with the Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays picked Dalton Pompey in the 2010 MLB draft. He was drafted from John Fraser Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario. His first professional games were with the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays. In 11 games, he hit .191 with two home runs. He also had five runs batted in (RBI).
In 2011, Dalton continued to play for the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays. He also played for the Bluefield Blue Jays. That year, he played 60 games. He hit .239, had five home runs, and 17 RBI. He also stole 23 bases, which means he ran to the next base without the ball being hit.
Dalton played only 20 games in 2012 because he broke his left hand. He played for Bluefield, the Vancouver Canadians, and the Lansing Lugnuts. He hit .286 with eight RBI and five stolen bases. In 2013, he returned to Lansing and played 115 games. He finished the year hitting .261 with six home runs. He also had 40 RBI and 38 stolen bases. After the season, he won a minor league Gold Glove Award. This award is for excellent fielding, as he didn't make any errors all season.
Rising Through the Ranks
Dalton started the 2014 season with the Dunedin Blue Jays. On June 24, 2014, he was chosen for the 2014 All-Star Futures Game. This game features top minor league players. Before this, he was hitting very well. He had six home runs and 27 stolen bases in 67 games.
On June 27, 2014, Dalton moved up to the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Then, on August 20, he was promoted to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. The Blue Jays also announced he would play in the Arizona Fall League. This league helps young players improve. He finished the 2014 minor league season with a .313 batting average. He also had nine home runs, 52 RBI, and 43 stolen bases. On September 3, he was named to Baseball America's Second Team All-Stars.
Major League Debut
On September 1, 2014, Dalton was called up to the Blue Jays' main team. He made his MLB debut on September 2 against the Tampa Bay Rays. He entered the game as a pinch-runner for Edwin Encarnación. A pinch-runner is a player who runs the bases for another player.
Dalton had his first turn at bat on September 10 against the Chicago Cubs. He got an RBI by hitting the ball to first base. On September 19, he got his first Major League hit. It was a single against New York Yankees pitcher Hiroki Kuroda. Three days later, he had his first game with multiple hits and scored a run.
The next day, he hit his first career home run. It was a solo shot against Mariners pitcher Félix Hernández. On September 26, Dalton had a great game against the Baltimore Orioles. He scored two runs and had two RBI. He hit his first double and two triples. He was the third Blue Jays rookie to hit two triples in one game.
Challenges and Comebacks
Before the 2015 season, MLB ranked Dalton as a top prospect. He was the second-best prospect in the Blue Jays' team. He was also the 7th best outfield prospect and 43rd overall prospect in baseball. Dalton started the 2015 season as the Blue Jays' main center fielder.
However, he struggled early in the season, hitting only .193 in 23 games. On May 2, he was sent back to Triple-A Buffalo. He continued to struggle there and was sent to Double-A New Hampshire on June 6. On September 1, Dalton was called back up to the Blue Jays. He played in 34 games in 2015. He hit .223 with two home runs, six RBI, and five stolen bases. Dalton was on the Blue Jays' team for the playoffs. He mostly played as a pinch runner. In five playoff games, he had one hit and four stolen bases.
Dalton went to spring training in 2016. He played with the Buffalo Bisons until September 1. Then, he was called up by the Blue Jays again. He played in eight games, mostly as a pinch runner. He scored three runs and stole two bases. He was on the team for the Wild Card game. He was also added to the Championship Series team on October 14.
During the 2017 World Baseball Classic, Dalton got a concussion. This happened when he slid into second base. He was placed on a special list for injured players. He did not play for Toronto during the 2017 season.
On May 4, 2018, Dalton returned to the major leagues. This was his first time since 2016. On May 12, he was sent back to Triple-A Buffalo. On May 29, he hurt his left thumb while sliding into third base. He did not play in the major leagues again that year.
Before a game on March 21, 2019, Dalton hit his head on some bats. He was diagnosed with another concussion. He was placed on the injured list. On July 23, 2019, Dalton was removed from the team's main roster. He played in the minor leagues for the rest of 2019. On November 4, 2019, he became a free agent. This meant he could sign with any team.
Other Teams and Retirement
Dalton signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks in February 2020. He did not play for them because the minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was released by the Diamondbacks in May.
In July 2020, Dalton played for the Sugar Land Lightning Sloths. This was a special independent league created because of the pandemic. He played in four games and had one hit.
On April 21, 2021, Dalton signed with the Québec Capitales. But before their season started, he signed with the Los Angeles Angels. In 2021, he played for the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas and the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees. He hit .276 with five home runs and 12 RBI. On August 25, the Angels released him.
On March 25, 2022, Dalton signed with the Guelph Royals. In 30 games, he hit .381 with five home runs. He also had 22 RBI and 13 stolen bases. Dalton announced his retirement after the 2022 season. He wanted to work in emergency services. However, on July 24, 2024, he came out of retirement and re-signed with the Royals.
Playing for Canada
Dalton has played for the Canada national baseball team several times. He played in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. He also played in the 2019 Pan American Games Qualifier and the 2019 WBSC Premier12.
Dalton's Life Outside Baseball
Dalton's parents are Ken and Valerie Pompey. They taught him to switch-hit when he was three years old. He has a brother, Tristan, and a sister, Kayla. Tristan is also a professional baseball player. He recently played for the Guelph Royals.
Dalton's father, Ken, was known as the dancing cowboy on a Canadian TV show called Electric Circus. A brewery even made a special drink to remember his time on the show. In 2023, Dalton joined the Hamilton Police Service to become a police officer.
