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Blue Jays 2026 40-man Roster Review: Ernie Clement established himself as an everyday player
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Photo credit: © Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Jan 29, 2026, 10:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 28, 2026, 18:27 EST
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It’s been a long time since the Toronto Blue Jays found a diamond in the rough like Ernie Clement.
This is Blue Jays Nation’s annual 40-man roster review ahead of the new season. If you missed the most recent article, we looked at Tommy Nance. In this article, we’ll look at Ernie Clement.
Drafted by the Cleveland Guardians in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, Clement hit just 11 home runs in 1,652 plate appearances before joining the Jays organization on a minor league deal. It’s been said that the Jays were the only team offering regular playing time, which is laughable now given how far Clement has come.
In 2023 with the Buffalo Bisons, Clement managed to match his home run total, doing so in just 271 plate appearances. In September, Clement was called up to the Jays, where he hit an additional home run in 52 plate appearances.
Heading into the 2024 season, the Jays need to make a choice between Sanitago Espinal and Clement, with the franchise choosing Clement, thus making the right decision. Although the Jays went 74-88 in 2024, Clement slashed a respectable .263/.284/.408 with 12 home runs in 452 plate appearances in what was his first full season in the big leagues. Overall, Clement finished with a 94 wRC+, earning a nomination for the third base Gold Glove.
On the surface level, Clement’s 2025 season was rather unspectacular as well, as he slashed .277/.313.398 with nine home runs in 588 plate appearances for a 98 wRC+. Of course, the utility player had a strong defensive season, finishing as a finalist for both the utility Gold Glove and third base Gold Glove.
It was Clement’s postseason that propelled the utility player to the forefront. Over 18 games, Clement slashed .411/.416/.562 with a home run in 77 plate appearances for a 171 wRC+. Not just that, but Clement broke the all-time hits record with 30, just a spectacular, star-making performance from a player the Jays signed to a minor league deal.
Thanks to performing at the highest level, Clement will join Team USA at the upcoming World Baseball Classic, joining teammates Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Dominican Republic) and Kazuma Okamoto (Japan). Who could’ve envisioned that two years ago?
Of course, Clement isn’t projected to hit at the level he did in the postseason, which isn’t a shock. Steamer has him slashing .276/.313/.406 with nine home runs in 467 plate appearances for a 100 wRC+.
It’s likely Clement will roam around the diamond this season with the addition of Okamoto, but second base is also his to lose with the departing Bo Bichette. It’ll be interesting to see if Clement can capitalize on a terrific postseason and keep the momentum going.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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