Ernie Clement Will Be Key to the Blue Jays’ Success

The Toronto Blue Jays have one of the best lineups in baseball from top to bottom, and that’s no secret. In fact, in some areas, they might have too much depth and will have to make difficult decisions to prioritize certain players.

One player they will always benefit from having, though, is Ernie Clement, who had one of the greatest postseason performances in MLB history last season.

Clement has long been a journeyman of sorts, being cut from the Guardians and Athletics before the Blue Jays stumbled upon his unknown goldmine of talent.

He might have already made his mark on baseball’s biggest stage, but there’s more to the infielder than you might even think. His value to the Jays goes far beyond his hitting ability, and he’s going to be one of their most valuable players in 2026.

Clement’s Historic 2025 Performance

Before delving into Clement’s record-setting postseason last year, it’s important to understand his value to the Blue Jays during the regular season. He slashed .277/.313/.398, which graded out as a 98 wRC+ season, but that’s misleading regarding his true value.

Clement scored 83 runs, which was third on the Blue Jays last year, and his 35 doubles were tied for the most of any player since 2000 who played at least 10 games at every infield position in the same season (1B/2B/3B/SS).

Among those players, his 105 singles in 2025 also lead the field, showcasing his ability to put bat to ball and get on base regardless of how hard or far he hits it. Ernie struck out in only 10.4% of his trips to the plate – only 61 times across 588 plate appearances – and he’s shown an ability in previous years to get this number under 10%.

This is just on the offensive side of his game. Clement was also one of the league’s premier defenders in 2025, and he deserves plenty of recognition for his efforts and talents. His Fielding Run Value (FRV) of +10 was tied for ninth among all infielders last year, while his 5 OAA at third base tied for third best at the position, and his 6 OAA at second base tied for 11th.

In the postseason, he reached a whole new level. Blue Jays fans knew him as a good, scrappy utility guy that could throw together a few hits and play good defense, but the world got to see the best of Ernie Clement on full display. In his first-ever postseason action, Clement slashed .411/.416/.562 with eight extra-base hits, nine RBI, and an MLB-record 30 hits.

If Toronto can get that version of Clement for even a fraction of the 2026 regular season, the Jays are going to go far, and there’s no doubting it. He’s certainly one of the most important players on what might be the best overall and most well-rounded team in the AL, and 2025 was a huge coming-out party for him on a national level.

Awards Snubs

Clement is definitely one of the most elite utilitymen in the league, and he exemplifies the concept of someone fulfilling this role instead of holding a full-time regular starting position on a roster. He’s unique in his ability to help fill whatever hole needs to be filled and to do so with grace and pure talent.

Clement was a frontrunner for the 2025 AL utility Gold Glove Award, but he finished behind the winner, Mauricio Dubón of the Astros. Clement was such a strong fielder that he was also nominated for the Gold Glove at third base (for a second year in a row), but he didn’t win there either.

He was the only player in baseball to start at least 15 games at first base, second base, third base, and shortstop in 2025, and he did so with a 98th-percentile overall Outs Above Average (15 OAA).

Not only did he show versatility on the field, but Clement started multiple games at every single spot in Toronto’s order, with the exception of the third and fourth positions. He gave the Jays lineup versatility and offered plenty of ways for manager John Schneider to field the best team possible. This isn’t something you can quantify, but he’s got to be close to a manager’s dream player.

You could even make the case he deserved to win the utility Silver Slugger Award last year too, although the Tigers’ Zach McKinstry had a strong season and hit very well on his way to taking home the trophy.

Clement was an elite hitter in 2025, even if the numbers didn’t always show it. He’s not a power hitter and never has been, but his incredible skill set helps him churn out base hits with the best of them. He finished the season with a 94th-percentile whiff rate and a 97th-percentile squared-up percentage.

Clement was one of 17 primary infielders to record 11 or more games with three-plus hits in 2025, and one of only four infielders with more than three games of 4-plus hits. He also had three streaks of four or more multi-hit games, joining an exclusive group of only four players to do so last season (George Springer, Trea Turner, Christian Yelich). Clement has some serious talent, and it’s time he got some recognition for it.

Something he wasn’t snubbed from, however, was Team USA’s World Baseball Classic roster. He likely won’t be in a starting role on what might be the best baseball team ever assembled, but it’s enough of a statement that he’ll be a part of this group at all.

Clement’s Role on the Blue Jays in 2026

Last season, Clement played 89 of his 157 games (about 57%) at third base, and at first, it seemed like he would reprise a similar role on the 2026 Blue Jays.

However, this plan has likely since changed (with good reason), as the Jays signed Japanese superstar Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year, $60 million contract. Okamoto will likely be Toronto’s primary third baseman (with Addison Barger taking over on occasion), so Clement will have to play elsewhere.

It’s not that Okamoto is a better fielder than Clement, but Ernie has more versatility, while Okamoto is strictly a corner infielder and occasional outfielder.

What’s more, the Blue Jays no longer have a full-time second baseman. Andrés Giménez will take over for Bo Bichette as the starting shortstop, leaving a gap on the right side of the infield. The job is Clement’s to lose. He will still probably fill in around the diamond whenever and wherever he’s needed, just like he has for the last few seasons, but second base should be his primary home.

Fixed position or not, you know Clement will be in the Jays’ lineup day in and day out. He is an intimidating opponent, not because he can beat you every time, but because of how he can beat you. He’s versatile in that respect, too. In 2024, he hit a home run on a pitch that was 4.60 feet off the ground – the highest pitch hit for a home run in franchise history. In the same year, he hit a home run on a pitch just 0.91 feet off the ground.

To add to the Ernie Clement trivia train, the highest pitch he converted into a base hit in 2025 was 4.27 feet off the ground, and the lowest just 0.78 feet. This is all to show how Clement can get to every pitch and play all over the field; his talents as a true baseball utilityman go far beyond what a stat page or eye test can tell you.

Closing Thoughts

Ernie Clement is, without a doubt, one of the most important players on the Toronto Blue Jays this upcoming season. He has the potential to add so much value to the team that it can change their season trajectory. He’s certainly a sleeper pick for best utilityman this season and will be a big part of the Jays’ present and future success.

Last year, we got to see the damage Clement could do on a national stage, and who knows what kind of impact he’ll have during the World Baseball Classic. What’s for certain is that he’s a force to be reckoned with in the field, and opposing pitchers should beware of his contact skills at the plate.

From his performance last year to the role he’s going to play for the reigning AL Champs in 2026, there’s an argument he’s the best utilityman in baseball. You could definitely make a case for some other names like McKinstry or Brendan Donovan, but when Clement is performing at the top of his game, there simply isn’t any competition there.