Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Ernie Clement, right, celebrates with George Springer after scoring in the sixth inning during Game 7 of the 2025 World Series at Rogers Centre.John E. Sokolowski/Reuters
Everything is still coming up Clement.
Ernie, the Toronto Blue Jays’s infielder, has now parlayed his cult-hero status into an invitation to play for Team USA at March’s World Baseball Classic.
Clement’s popularity has grown immensely due to his aw-shucks persona and ability to slap pitches here, there and everywhere. The 29-year-old with a relatively middling baseball resume went bananas during the 2025 postseason, setting a major league record with 30 hits in 18 games during the playoffs and World Series.
Toronto fell to the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 in the best-of-seven final. Clement batted 12 for 31 against Shohei Ohtani and Co. and had three hits in the extra-inning Game 7 loss.
He had the best season in his five-year career in 2025, hitting a timely .277 with 35 doubles, nine home runs and 50 runs batted in during the regular season and was also nominated for a Golden Glove for his defensive play at third base and as a utility player.
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Clement will join a Team USA squad that includes the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, Philadelphia slugger Kyle Schwarber, Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh, Baltimore infielder Gunnar Henderson and shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. of Kansas City.
Other Blue Jays players confirmed in the 20-team tournament include Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Dominican Republic) and Alejandro Kirk (Mexico).
Anthony Santander and Andrés Giménez stand to be contributors for Venezuela.
Adam Macko, a Slovakian-born left-handed minor league farm hand for Toronto, will throw for Team Canada. Major leaguers expected to play a prominent role for the Canadians include brothers Bo and Josh Naylor of Cleveland and Seattle, respectively, Orioles outfielder Tyler O’Neill and starting pitchers Michael Soroka and Cal Quantrill.
Seattle Mariner Josh Naylor is expected to be a member of Team Canada at the World Baseball Classic in March.David J. Phillip/The Associated Press
The World Baseball classic will be staged from March 5 to 17 with Miami, Houston, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Tokyo as the host cities. The semi-finals and finals will be contested in Miami.
Spring training will begin with pitchers and catchers reporting on February 12. The Blue Jays’ first exhibition game will be on Feb. 21 in Dunedin, Fla. against the Phillies. The regular season commences on March 27 with the first of three games versus the Athletics at Rogers Centre.
Unless Toronto is able to sign Bo Bichette at the last minute, Clement will likely start at second base. Bichette is still at large as a free agent and the team is deep in pursuit of Kyle Tucker, the most coveted free agent remaining.
It has been quite an off-season after a banner year for Clement. The club more than doubled his pay to US$4.6-million on a one-year deal. That’s nice money for a happy-go-lucky guy from Rochester, N.Y., but small potatoes for a team that has almost anted up US$300-million in salaries for 2026.
Clement only went two games without a hit during the 2025 playoffs. He deserved a raise, but will now have to show he can play at an elite level on a regular basis.
For now, he is living the good life. He recently joined a group of teammates and their partners on an excursion to Saint Barthelemy.