2016 Blue Jays Year in Review: Dalton Pompey

By: Jay Blue and @JaysGirlEmily

Blue Jays From Away

Now that the season is over, the crew at Blue Jays from Away will take a look at the Blue Jays one by one and review how each player’s season went, whether he met expectations (or not) and look at how he fits into (what we think of) the Blue Jays’ plans going forward.

After getting a chance to start the 2015 season as a regular in the Blue Jays’ outfield, Dalton Pompey was back to trying to return to the major leagues, spending almost all of 2016 in Buffalo. Now 24, Pompey still has time to develop after a meteoric rise through the system in 2014 but he is still working things out and, as a contending team, the Jays decided it would be best to let him do that in the minors.

Pompey struggled to start the season, hitting .244/.340/.268 for the Bisons in April but picked things up as the season wore on. He hit .280/.341/.387 in May, .308/.373/.327 in June and .312/.365/.442 in July, his best month of the season. He regressed in August, playing in 27 games and hitting just .217/.333/.304 before getting called up to the Jays in September and serving mostly as a pinch runner.

In Toronto, Pompey went 0-for-2 with three runs and two stolen bases and his overall line in Buffalo was .270/.349/.353 with 14 doubles, a triple and four home runs, adding 18 stolen bases in 93 games.

Contract Status

Pompey does not have enough service time to qualify for arbitration yet.

Emily Says

Dalton Pompey spent most of 2016 with the Buffalo Bisons. In a year during which he struggled with injuries, he hit .270/.349/.353 in Triple-A.

He was called up to the Jays as a part of expanded rosters on September 2, appeared in eight games, but only had two plate appearances, as he was used primarily as a pinch-runner.

Pompey didn’t get a hit in either of his plate appearances, and struck out once. As a pinch runner, he stole two bases, got caught once and scored three times.

He was put on the roster for the Wild Card and ALCS but didn’t play in any games.

Regular Season Grades

Jay: C
Emily: C+