‘In the minors’ is a regular feature on Baseball.ca that highlights Canadian’s in the minor leagues. In this first installment we take a look at two 2010 Junior National Team grads working their way up the minor league ladder and a minor league veteran off to a hot start in Triple-A.
OF Jamie Romak (London, ON) – Memphis Redbirds (AAA)
If you’re looking for one player who has burst out of the gate on this young season then Jamie Romak is your guy. Through 15 games Romak is hitting .388 with four home runs and 12 RBI, while hitting in the middle of the Memphis Redbirds order. On April 8th, Romak tied a Redbirds single season record by blasting three home runs and racking-up six RBI in an 18-2 win over New Orleans. Four days later, on April 12th, Romak was at it again going 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI in a win over Oklahoma, and on April 17th he picked up his third three-hit game of the season with a 3-for-3 day including a home run, double and three RBI at New Orleans. Romak joined the St. Louis Cardinals organization in May 2012 after a trade from the Kansas City Royals where he spent a little over two years in the Royals system. A graduate of the Junior National Team program in 2002 and 2003, Romak was the Senior National Team MVP in 2010 and won gold with Canada at the 2011 Pan Am Games in Mexico.
C Kellin Deglan (Langley, BC) – Myrtle Beach Pelicans (A Advanced)
After two seasons at Single-A Hickory, Kellin Deglan has made the jump to the High-A level in the Texas Rangers system for the 2013 season. Although the season is young Deglan has achieved success at the plate belting two home runs and carrying a five game hitting streak from April 13th-20th. In 2012 he doubled his home run total from 2011 by hitting 12 round trippers and driving in 41 runs for Hickory. At the end of the season he was rewarded with an invitation to play for Canada at the World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Germany and later saw spot duty in the prestigious Arizona Fall League. The former first round pick of the Rangers (2010) made his pro debut at the tender age of 18 before he helped Canada to a fourth place finish at the 2010 IBAF 18U World Championship and was later named Junior National Team MVP.
OF Dalton Pompey (Mississauga, ON) – Lansing Lugnuts (A)
Dalton Pompey was a teammate of Deglan’s on the 2010 Junior National Team and also finds himself moving up a level for the 2013 season. Pompey was drafted in the 16th round by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010 and spent the past two seasons at the Rookie and Short Season levels. Moving up to full season Lansing this year, Pompey has gotten off to a solid start at the plate, while playing every day in centerfield for the Lugnuts. Pompey’s last ten games have seen him hit .323 with 10 hits, while compiling a .475 on-base percentage courtesy of nine walks at the plate. He’s also used his speed to swipe six bases in this timeframe including three on April 22nd where he stole second base once and third base twice. Pompey was ranked as the Blue Jays 16th top prospect by MLB.com prior to the season.
