Ernie Clement was picked up as a free agent signing in March of 2023, after his release by the A’s earlier that month. I wasn’t thrilled with taking a castoff of the A’s (one who only played 6 games for one of the worst teams in baseball). It wasn’t like we didn’t already have a couple of dozen utility/middle infielders who likely wouldn’t be able to hit their weight.
But Ernie had good 2024 and 2025 seasons with the Jays, hitting .271/.301/.402 with 21 home runs. 101 RBI, 38 walks and 102 strikeouts.
Ok, getting two walk a month isn’t great, but the rest of his batting line was pretty good, especially when you add near Gold Glove defense into the mix. In the two years he’s totaled 7.6 in bWAR
In 2024 he played mostly mostly third base and shortstop. In 2025 he split time between third and second (with a few games at short).
So we were expecting a pretty good 2026 season.
| Age | WAR | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | OPS+ | TB | GIDP | HBP | SF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 1.1 | 158 | 621 | 590 | 60 | 153 | 33 | 1 | 9 | 48 | 7 | 1 | 22 | 58 | .259 | .285 | .364 | .649 | 78 | 215 | 15 | 2 | 7 |
Generated 10/5/2026.
Baseball Reference had Ernie at a 1.1 WAR (down from 4.3 in 2025). FanGraphs 0.6 (down from 3.2 ) , giving him a value of $5.0 million to the Jays (he made $4.6 million).
Ernie had a .284 wOBA ( last year, .308) and a 80 wRC+ (last year 97). His BABIP was .272 (.296 last year).
Clement’s walk rate was 3.5% (down from 4.6 last year), and his strikeout rate was 9.3% (down from 10.4 last year). He’d be the type of player who, in the old days, we’d say he’d be a good choice for the hit part of the hit and run. I wonder if tried the hit and run with him this year?
His line drive rate was 18.5% (down from 23.0). The ground ball rate was 37.9% (up from 34.0). The fly ball rate was 43.6% (up from 43.0). 3.9% of his fly balls left the park (down from 4.3).
Soft contact was 17.4% (up from 16.7). Hard contact was 22.3% (down from 24.0).
Clement actually hit left-handers (.242/.274/.535) slightly worse than right-handers (.268/.290/.370). Usually, he hits left-handers much much better.
He hit much the same on the road (.262/.284/.359) as at home (.256/.286/.370).
He hit much better in the first half (.296/.318/.433) than in the second half (.203/.235/.259).
Clement by month:
- April: .302/.323/.429 with 1 home run, 4 walks and 9 strikeouts in 31 games, 31 starts.
- May: .297/.321/.475 with 4 home runs, 4 walks and 10 strikeouts in 28 games, 26 starts.
- June: .289/.316/.400 with 2 home runs, 4 walks and 14 strikeouts in 24 games, 22 starts.
- July: .278/.311/.371 with 1 home run, 3 walks and 9 strikeouts in 24 games, 24 starts.
- August: .208/.228/.260 with 1 home run, 3 walks and 11 strikeouts in 27 games, 24 starts.
- September: .150/.186/.200 with 0 home runs, 4 walks and 5 strikeouts in 24 games, 21 starts.
Something happened at the end of the season. I don’t think he forgot how to hit, nor do I think pitchers figured him out after three seasons with the Jays. Something must have been going on.
With RISP he hit .238/.259/.381.
On defense Clement played:
- 132 games, 107 starts at 2B (981.2 innings). He made 9 errors for a .980 FA (league average at second is .982). FanGraphs has him at a -3 Outs Above Average.
- 40 games, 31 starts at SS (257.0 innings). He made 3 errors for a .973 FA (league average at short is .975). FanGraphs has him at a -3 OAA.
- 14 games, 10 starts at 3B (88.2 innings). He made 1 error for a .966 FA (league average at third is .958). FanGraphs has him at a +1 OAA.
- And he played 2.2 innings in left field without making a play. FanGraphs has him at a +1 OAA.
I don’t think we have to worry about him getting a Gold Glove this year.
FanGraphs has him at a 0.2 Runs as a baserunner. He stole 7 bases, caught just once (a success rate that I appreciate, last year he stole 6, caught 5 times). But, he must not have been great running the bases other than stealing.
Where Clement hit in the batting order in games he started:
- 1st: 18 games: .282/.313/.410.
- 2nd: 16 games: .319/.347/.420.
- 3rd: 4 games: .267/.394/.267.
- 5th: 21 games: .268/.282/427.
- 6th: 29 games: .234/.265/.351.
- 7th: 35 games: ..259/.279/.353.
- 8th: 14 games: .246/.283/.298.
- 9th: 11 games: .179/.200/.256.
His longest hitting streak was 10 games. Longest on base streak was 1 games. Most games without a home run 45. Longest hitless streak was 4 games.
Clement when hitting at the first pitch of an at bat he hit .274/.278/.387.
In High Leverage spots he hit .255/.259/.389, low leverage, .290/.324/.394.
Times facing a starter:
- 1st: .255/.271/.326.
- 2nd: .211/.235/.336.
- 3rd: .242/.296/.318.
Favourite team to face: He hit .462/.444/.615 in 6 games vs the Angels.
Least favourite? He hit .053/.053/.053 in 6 games against the Mariners.
Random things from Baseball Savant:
- Expected wOBA: 1st percentile.
- Hard-hit %: 1st percentile.
- Bat Speed: 3rd percentile.
- Squared Up %: 95th percentile.
- K %: 98th percentile.
- Walk %: 2nd percentile.
- Range and Arm Strength: 12th percentile.
It was a tale of a good first half and a bad second half for Ernie. He was an All-Star, and then, for the last couple of months of the season, he was terrible. I don’t know if there was an injury we weren’t told about, or what caused it. I’d say other teams realized he would chase almost anything off the plate, but that’s always been the way he’s played. It drives us up the wall, but he’s been the same player for years; other teams knew that.
Clement also went from a Gold Glove-type fielder to a below-average fielder in a year. I don’t know if the two are related. Some was from his playing in the WBC, and maybe he tired out because of that, but he didn’t play much in the WBC. He likely would have played as much in spring training.
Hangover from the World Series run? I don’t know. Maybe. He did play a lot of ball in the playoffs, but I find it hard to believe that it would cause him to tire at the end of this season.
He hit just .182/.209/.233 with just 1 home run and 6 doubles in the last two months of the season. You’d almost think there had to be an injury of some sort.
Clement was running slower this year. Savant had him at an 83rd percentile for Spring Speed last year, and 70th this year. Aging from 29 to 30 shouldn’t have caused that much of a change.
What happens next year?
Ross Atkins did say that Clement isn’t guaranteed the second base job next year. I don’t know that Josh Smith is the answer either. Perhaps a platoon, but if they wanted to sign a free-agent second baseman, I wouldn’t complain.
