Former Toronto Blue Jay lacing up for the Guelph Royals

A former Toronto Blue Jay will be playing for the Guelph Royals next season.

The local team has announced that outfielder Dalton Pompey is joining the roster.

“This will be cool for me. Some of my family will get to see me after not being able to see me play for a while because of COVID and stuff like that,” Pompey said.

The Mississauga native was drafted by the Blue Jays out of high school and played games with the team between 2014 and 2018.

Pompey was on the Jays' postseason roster in 2015 and appeared primarily as a pinch runner. He hit a single in his only at bat in the playoffs and recorded four stolen bases.

He spent the 2021 season with the Los Angeles Angels AA and AAA programs.

“For me, playing for 12 years in the professional ranks, it's been a lot of of ups and downs. And there are pressures that come with that, and being able to come home and being able to be kind of free and be myself was a huge reason why I wanted to come back and play Guelph.”

Still in the prime of his career, the 29-year-old Pompey hopes to mentor others in the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL), while still proving his skills in Guelph.

“I’m not too far gone from playing professionally and I think this is an opportunity for me to be able to go out and still show people that I can still play at a high level, and at the same time have fun and enjoy the company of the other guys,” Pompey said.

Toronto Blue Jays' Dalton Pompey hits a single off Baltimore Orioles pitcher Brian Matusz during sixth inning American League baseball action in Toronto on Tuesday, April 21, 2015. (The Canadian Press/Chris Young)

“Hopefully it gives him an opportunity to play," Dino Roumel, field manager for the Guelph Royals said. "Stay sharp, if a call comes, that's great. If not, enjoy the game.”

Team management said Pompey’s speed is one of his skills they expect to make a difference.


“I had one person ask me yesterday, ‘what's the league record for stolen bases?' So, it's good that people understand the game and understand what he brings to the table,” Roumel said.

Pompey was just the sixth Ontario-born player to wear the Blue Jays uniform in the team’s history. He said he is excited to return to Canada after turning down offers from other leagues.

“He had an opportunity to go to Taiwan, he had an opportunity to go to Korea, and chose to come here and I think that speaks volumes for being at home and playing in a league that has such a great caliber of players,” Roumel said.

According to Roumel, news of the signing is also creating a buzz in the Guelph community.

“Our phones lit up yesterday and they were going on for the better part of the night. Mostly people around the league and fans around the city asking about season tickets,” Roumel said.

The Royals have not played in two seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pompey is set to arrive for training at the start of May and is expected to be in action for the Royals home opener on May 21 against Toronto.