Blue Jays: Dalton Pompey signs with Intercounty Baseball League

Former Toronto Blue Jays top prospect Dalton Pompey has reportedly signed with the Guelph Royals of the Intercounty Baseball League. The signing was announced by the Royals’ general manager on a radio show last week.

Personally, this was exciting as I frequently attend Kitchener Panthers games of the same league. When another Canadian former top prospect, Scott Thorman, played for the Brantford Red Sox in 2012, I got to watch in a much-closer environment and chat with Thorman after the game.

It’s hard to get closeup and personal with Major League baseball players, but the IBL has on occasion offered a chance for fans to interact with players who major league teams have passed on but are still very good ballplayers. Thorman is now the Triple-A manager for the Kansas City Royals.

Pompey was most recently released by the Los Angeles Angels organization in August, despite a strong production in 37 games across Double and Triple A. Pompey had also been signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2020, although didn’t play due to COVID-19. The team released him in May later that year. The Mississauga native spent 10 years with the Blue Jays organization after being drafted out of high school in the Amateur Draft in 2010.

At his peak value in 2015, the now-29-year-old was ranked the #2 Blue Jays prospect, #7 top outfield prospect in all of baseball, and #43 top prospect overall, according to MLB.com. That year, he opened as the Blue Jays’ everyday centre fielder (just a little bit of a downgrade from George Springer), but like other years and other prospects over the years, just never could put it all together at the highest level. Some years, injuries nagged, but even when given opportunities, Pompey struggled.

Former Toronto Blue Jays top prospect Dalton Pompey has reportedly signed with the Guelph Royals of the Intercounty Baseball League.

All things told, Pompey had just 145 at-bats in the majors over 64 games. He also appeared in the Blue Jays’ 2015 playoff run primarily as a pinch-runner and was a part of the Canadian national team for the 2019 World Baseball Classic.

Pompey’s brother, Tristan, is also a baseball player and currently a part of the Miami Marlins organization.