Clement’s All-Star Selection and Career Trajectory
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement has been named to the MLB All-Star Game, securing the top spot in fan voting among American League players. This achievement marks Clement’s first career All-Star selection and guarantees him a place on the AL roster for the midsummer classic. His selection came as a surprise to many, given his career path.
Clement garnered 3,232,932 total votes, surpassing other notable players in the American League. These included Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, who received 2,911,655 votes, New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge with 2,567,404 votes, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout who had 2,511,587 votes, and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. with 2,513,492 votes. Clement’s vote total was second only to Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who led all players with 3,341,257 votes.
Reflecting on the voting results, Clement commented on Thursday, prior to Toronto’s four-game series against Texas at Rogers Centre, that it was “tough coming in second place to the Dodgers again.” He acknowledged Ohtani as “one of the greatest players to ever play this game” and expressed his appreciation for being in the same conversation as such athletes, calling it a “really cool honour” and feeling “the love from Canada and all Blue Jays’ fans.”
The 30-year-old Clement has demonstrated strong performance this season, maintaining a .292 batting average, along with seven home runs and 28 runs batted in over 77 games. He also boasts a league-leading 20 doubles and an impressive .292/.313/.437 slash line. This season represents a significant milestone in Clement’s career, which has seen a notable resurgence over the past three seasons in Toronto.
Originally drafted by Cleveland in the 2017 MLB Draft, Clement made his MLB debut four seasons later in 2021. After a challenging period with the Guardians over 103 games, he was waived in September 2022. Following a brief stint with the Oakland Athletics, Clement was waived again before being signed by the Blue Jays during Spring Training in the 2023 season.
His ability at the plate and defensive versatility proved to be a fitting match for Toronto. The Rochester, NY native has thrived with the Blue Jays, participating in 373 games over the last three seasons and accumulating 110 extra-base hits with a .276 batting average. During the Blue Jays’ playoff run last season, Clement played in 18 games and established a major league record for a single postseason with 30 hits.
Blue Jays’ Strong All-Star Representation
The Blue Jays have a strong presence in the All-Star voting, with finalists at every available position following Phase 1. This includes Clement at second base, who has already secured his All-Star spot. Other Blue Jays players who made the cut for Phase 2 voting include Alejandro Kirk at catcher, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base, Kazuma Okamoto at third base, Andrés Gimenez at shortstop, and George Springer as designated hitter. In the outfield, Daulton Varsho and Jesus Sanchez are among the six finalists.
Kirk’s nomination is particularly notable as he is a finalist at catcher despite playing only 13 games after missing nearly three months due to a fractured thumb. The top two finishers at each position (excluding AL second baseman and NL designated hitter) and the top six outfielders advanced to Phase 2, which involves a new round of voting to determine the starters.
Phase 2 voting is scheduled to commence on Monday, June 29. Following this, the starters for each position will be selected, and then the managers will fill the remaining bench spots and choose the pitchers for each team. All the starters are expected to be revealed once Phase 2 concludes on Thursday, July 2.
This year’s American League All-Star team will be managed by Blue Jays skipper John Schneider, a recognition stemming from the Blue Jays’ advancement to the World Series last season. The All-Star Game itself is slated to take place on July 14 in Philadelphia.
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Source: sportsnet.ca
