Let's Get Ernie Clement to the All-Star Game

Before the season, my Jays Centre colleague Jesse Burrill asked all the writers here to make a bold prediction for 2026. At the time, I was very pleased with what I came up with: Two Blue Jays will make their first All-Star Game this summer. 

I knew it was statistically improbable, but I genuinely thought it was going to come true. That's the perfect bold prediction. Well, in theory. In practice, it's starting to look like my "perfect bold prediction" may not have been bold enough. 

Dylan Cease was my ace in the hole, and I acknowledged as much. Other names that made me confident in my prediction were Daulton Varsho, Kazuma Okamoto, Cody Ponce, and Louis Varland. 

With just over a month to go until the All-Star Game, Cease and Varland are strong contenders to earn a spot on the AL squad. But there's a third Blue Jay with a serious All-Star case, and it's one I didn't even consider before the season. Heck, it's one I didn't even consider when voting opened last week. 

It's Ernie Clement.

(Pictured below: Me showing my emphatic support for Ern Dog.) 

Image courtesy of Daniel Kucin Jr. – Imagn Images via Reuters Connect

Thanks to a red-hot stretch over the last three weeks, Clement ranks fifth in the AL with a .304 batting average. His 79 hits lead the American League (Jesse will have more to say on that topic tomorrow). The rest of his numbers don't jump off the page, but the competition at his position is so nonexistent that Toronto's second baseman really might be the strongest choice.

Clement has 1.4 fWAR and bWAR through 67 games. That's well above average, although it isn't a number that screams 'All-Star' – and certainly not 'All-Star Starter.' Before injury replacements get the call, 20 position players will be named to the AL All-Star team. Clement doesn't even rank among the top 30 by either version of WAR. 

The thing is, there has to be a starting second baseman. There has to be a reserve second baseman, too, and they both actually have to play second base. Shortstops Kevin McGonigle and Colson Montgomery are more deserving All-Stars than Clement, and I'm sure either one of them could handle the keystone just fine, but that isn't how it works. One of the 15 second basemen on the ballot will get the starting nod, and another will be the backup. Of those 15, I don't see a better choice than Ernie.

As you could have guessed, Clement leads AL second basemen in hits and batting average. He doesn't lead in any other major categories, but his .789 OPS and 119 wRC+ both rank second, behind  Ezequiel Duran's .802 and 124 marks. Clement also has a 62 PA lead over Duran, which means he has provided more overall value at the plate. His 37 weighted runs created (the counting stat version of wRC+) lead the field. 

Strangely poor defensive numbers (-1 DRS, -1 FRV) are dragging down Clement's WAR totals, but I don't care about defensive metrics as much at this point in the season, especially when we all know how valuable Ernie can be in the field. I refuse to accept that Duran is a better fielder, even if the metrics give him the edge.

[Related: Toronto Blue Jays Defensive Plays of the Month - May 2026]

Let me be clear: I'm not saying Clement is far and away the best choice. What I'm saying is that no one else is obviously more deserving, at least right now. A vote for Ernie Clement wouldn't just be Blue Jays homerism; it would be a perfectly justifiable choice. 

Some fans will argue that star power should matter when it comes to All-Star voting. They might use that argument to justify a vote for star rookie Travis Bazzana or a multi-time All-Star like Gleyber Torres or Jazz Chisholm Jr. These fans would tell you the All-Star Game is about having a good time, and it's more fun when the biggest names are on the field. Personally, I'd respond that baseball is always more fun when Ernie Clement is on the field. 

Yes, I'm aware that I'm sliding into homerism territory now, but if fans outside of Toronto don't know the joy of watching Clement, it's only because they haven't watched him enough. Electing him to the All-Star Game could help change that. 

At the risk of sounding like a sponsored post for Major League Baseball, here is the link to the 2026 MLB All-Star ballot. Here it is again. (Remember, you can vote five times a day!) I don't believe in just voting for all the players on my favourite team, but I do believe in doing everything I can to support the ones who deserve it. So, here's that link one more time. If you're so inclined, please join me in voting, and let's get Ernie Clement to the All-Star Game. I couldn't be more excited for my bold prediction to be proven wrong.