Ernie Clement's baseball career completely transformed the moment he signed a minor league deal with the Toronto Blue Jays back in 2023. Prior to joining Toronto, he had failed to establish himself as a productive hitter during his time with the Cleveland Guardians and Athletics.
Since then, he has been one of Toronto's most productive players and one of the faces of the franchise. Last year, he broke records helping the Blue Jays advance to the World Series, and he has carried that success into 2026.
Across 77 games, he has posted a .292 batting average, .313 on-base percentage, .750 OPS, seven home runs, 20 doubles and 28 RBIs. He has battled a nagging left hip injury in June, but when on the field he has been instrumental in Toronto's success.
© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Now Clement will take his talents to the All-Star Game. Phase 1 of All-Star Game voting officially came to a close ahead of Toronto's series opener against the Texas Rangers on Thursday, and Clement received some exciting news.
For the first time in his career, he will be heading to the All-Star Game. "The most votes in the league? ERN’d 🐶 Ernie Clement is heading to his first All-Star Game!" the Blue Jays announced on X.
What makes it even more special is that he is the first American League player to be selected, having led the entire league in voting with 3,232,932 votes. No other player in the American League landed more than 3,000,000, so it was never really a competition. It was always going to be Clement.
Clement spoke with reporters and addressed the accomplishment. "It's a really cool honour. I feel the love from Canada and all the Blue Jays fans. It means a lot," Clement said (h/t Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet).
Blue Jays fans will be able to watch Clement participate July 15 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
