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Blue Jays’ Ernie Clement continues to find new ways to impress in everyday role
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Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Thomas Hall
Aug 23, 2024, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 23, 2024, 11:52 EDT
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There is nothing ordinary about Ernie Clement, particularly his hitting style at the major league level.
The 28-year-old is a contact hitter in its truest form. He doesn’t earn many walks. Nor does he strike out very often. As a result, his 2.8-per-cent walk rate ranks in the first percentile of the majors, while his strikeout (eight per cent) and whiff rates (14.9 per cent) sit in the 100th and 95th percentiles, respectively.
For as much contact as Clement generates, very little produces high exit velocity, as he owns a second-percentile hard-hit rate (24 per cent) and a sixth-percentile average exit velocity (85.8 m.p.h.). He also doesn’t swing hard, given his fourth-percentile average bat speed of 66.8 m.p.h.
All these elements limit Clement’s power output, and understandably so. In most cases, a high percentage of hard contact typically leads to more damage. And yet, despite all this, he’s homered in three straight games, including four of his last seven.
Though he doesn’t hit the ball hard, one thing the right-handed-hitting infielder has done to make up for that is maximizing the most exit velocity available — or at least close to it — out of each swing. That brings us to one of the new metrics introduced by Statcast called squared-up rate, which the Toronto Blue Jays righty ranks in the 99th percentile with his 36.1-per-cent clip.
Take Thursday night’s mesmerizing home run, for example. The pitch Clement hit out was a 96.7 m.p.h. fastball in a location that most other hitters would’ve taken or popped out on. Instead, he drove it into the club’s bullpen, generating an exit velocity of 98.3 off Los Angeles Angels right-hander Mike Baumann.
Somehow, Clement squared up a heater that was 4.6 feet above the ground, which, according to MLB researcher Sarah Langs, is the second-highest pitch hit for a home run in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008). That trails only Kyle Higashioka, who holds the lead by a razor-thin margin at 4.61 feet.
But this isn’t the first time Clement has homered off a pitch well above the strike zone. In fact, he’s done it a few times, recording two round-trippers against pitches at least four feet off the ground — tied for the most during a single season, per Langs.
Expanding the strike zone is something Clement often does, and that’s precisely why his 42.7-per-cent chase rate ranks in the second percentile this season. But when it works, it works.
“Yeah, I mean, I probably shouldn’t be swinging at that,” Clement told reporters post-game, including Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith. “I just kind of reacted to it. It’s happening so fast that I didn’t really have time to think about how high it was. I just knew I hit it.”
Thanks to this week’s power surge, the veteran infielder has produced double-digit home runs (10) for the first time in his big-league career, and he’s two shy of matching last season’s total of 12 that was split between the majors (one) and triple-A Buffalo (11). It’s not just his slugging that’s stood out, though.
Clement’s seamless transition into an everyday role made the Blue Jays’ decision to trade Isiah Kiner-Falefa much simpler. At the plate, he’s made a few critical adjustments to break out of his earlier slump, now hitting .307/.340/.495 with a 134 wRC+ in 25 games since July 26. And he’s made a remarkable impact in the field regardless of his position.
“He’s done a great job of transitioning into playing every day,” manager John Schneider said. “Offensively, he’s been really, really good. Defensively he’s been outstanding. Third, short, second – and (even) on the mound. But it doesn’t really surprise me because he’s had a battle for everything in his entire career.”
Less than two years after being released by the Oakland Athletics in March 2023, Clement is thriving on both sides of the ball for a Blue Jays team with little to celebrate in ’24. He’s already accounted for 1.8 fWAR across 105 games and is on pace to finish as a two-win player.
The offensive production has been impressive, but so has his defence at multiple positions, combining for plus-13 defensive runs saved and plus-five outs above average in 724.1 total innings between second base, shortstop, third base and left field.
“It’s been awesome,” Clement said. “Two years ago, if you told me this was going to be happening, I would have told you that you were a liar.”
Clement’s role for next season remains unclear and will likely be determined by the moves made by Toronto’s front office this winter. But, at the very least, his name will almost certainly be in the mix for one of the roster spots that’ll be up for grabs next spring.
It’s worth noting, however, that he’ll once again be out of options in 2025.

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