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At age 29, Ernie Clement is enjoying a long-awaited moment in the spotlight. The Toronto Blue Jays‘ third baseman is one of three finalists for an American League Gold Glove award at the position, along with Maikel Garcia of the Kansas City Royals and Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians. He’s coming off a career year in which he batted .277 in 157 games — both career-highs — along with nine home runs and 50 RBIs. More news: World Series Champion, Gold Glove Winner Announces Immediate Retirement Since the calendar flipped to October, Clement has been one of the Blue Jays’ hottest hitters. He’s batting .429 (21 for 29) in the postseason. His nine hits in the American League Championship Series were second only to teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the series MVP. TORONTO, ONTARIO – OCTOBER 05: Ernie Clement #22 of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates after an RBI double during the third inning in game two of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre on October 05, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) Clement is 3 for 7 in the World Series and has yet to strike out in two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It’s not bad for anyone — let alone a player who was cut by two different teams in a span of six months before he was picked up by the Blue Jays in March 2023. If he wanted to use the occasion to reveal a chip on his shoulder, Clement would certainly be within reason. Yet when he was asked about being released by the Oakland A’s in March 2023 on Monday, hours before Game 3 of the World Series, he offered a humble response. More news: Blue Jays’ Bo Bichette Has 2-Word Response About World Series Availability “I can’t blame them,” Clement said about being released by the A’s. “I didn’t play great.” Clement played all of six regular season games in an A’s uniform, going 1 for 18 (.056). He went 2 for 11 (.182) in spring training with the A’s before he was released. The Blue Jays picked him up two days later. For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports.
