Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement poised to have monster 2026 season

Clement is coming off a record-breaking performance at the plate during their playoff run, making quite the statement in his very first trip to the postseason.

The 29-year-old has found a home in Toronto, and one shouldn't be surprised if he keeps getting better and better.

To say Clement stepped up in a big way for Toronto during their best season in 32 years would be quite the understatement, as he broke a few records in MLB postseason history after finishing the final game going 3-for-5.

If Clement ends up looking half as good as he did during his 18 games in October, then he will emerge as one of the best all-around offensive weapons in baseball, not just for the Blue Jays.

He competed with the best of the best throughout the postseason as one of the greatest on any of the teams in the playoffs.

Clement signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jays on March 14 2023, his defensive versatility and MLB experience made him an appealing add on a minor-league deal.

During 2023 spring training, the Blue Jays had Bichette, Matt Chapman, Whit Merrifield, Santiago Espinal and Cavan Biggio, so there wasn't a clear route to a roster spot for Clement, but he looked like solid depth.

Clement didn't seem likely to contribute unless injuries struck, particularly since his offensive numbers were unimpressive, even at the minor-league level when he was acquired.

He'd never topped four home runs in a pro season before 2023, and his career OBP at the triple-A level was below .300 when Toronto got him.

Clement looked like a triple-A contributor who could fill in on an emergency basis at the major-league level due to his defensive abilities.

Clement turned the corner at triple-A in 2023, hitting .348/.401/.554 and managing double-digit home runs for the first time. He then thrived in a couple of MLB cameos (143 wRC+ in 52 plate appearances).

In 2024, he carved out a role as a glove-first super-utility player whose 2.1 fWAR ranked fourth on the Blue Jays.

Last season, he led Toronto in games played (157), became a Gold Glove finalist at third base and set the MLB record for hits in a playoff run (30).

Clement made significant progress in each year with the Blue Jays, adding just enough power to turn his superlative contact ability into a playable offensive profile.

That allowed him to earn enough playing time for his glove to sing.

When the Blue Jays got Clement, he wasn't even a star-level player at triple-A, and now his 5.3 fWAR over the past two seasons ranks 74th among all position players ahead of big names like Xander Bogaerts, Junior Caminero and Oneil Cruz.