TORONTO — Ernie Clement stood out among a group of Toronto Blue Jays lined up in left field ahead of batting practice. As players began to warm up, it was noticeable that he was the only one not wearing a hockey sweater.
With Monday being Clement’s replica jersey giveaway night at Rogers Centre, teammates donned his No. 22 in a homage that touched the infielder.
“It means a lot to see all the boys rocking the jersey and getting into the hockey spirit,” Clement said minutes later while sitting inside the Blue Jays’ dugout.
This is the first time in Clement’s career that a team’s promotional giveaway has centred around him, and the 30-year-old will quickly admit that he “never thought I’d have one.”
In many ways, though, the jersey is a symbol of the new level of stardom that Clement has reached.
Massive, unprecedented lineups snaked around Rogers Centre more than five hours before the 7:07 p.m. ET first pitch and the throng of fans was so large that stadium officials decided to open the gates 15 minutes early. The garments were reserved for the first 15,000 and were ultimately doled out faster than any promotional item this season, according to a Blue Jays spokesperson.
While a hockey jersey giveaway is a surefire way to drum up interest, the hoopla on Monday served to underline just how beloved Clement has become among the team’s fan base.
“He gets a very loud ovation every day when they announce his name and he’s earned it,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “I think the way he plays is very relatable to a lot of people. He just plays hard.”
Clement was famously released by the Athletics ahead of the 2023 campaign and after signing with the Blue Jays that year, he quickly endeared himself to fans with his buoyant personality and playing style. He further cemented his reputation — and built a new one in the larger baseball landscape — with his historic 2025 post-season in which he collected a record-setting 30 hits.
And while nobody would have predicted Clement would replicate that type of success, he’s come close in the opening month of this season. Even though he went hitless in Monday’s 5-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox, Clement’s 13 doubles are tied for first in MLB, while his 36 hits are tied for third.
“His confidence and the belief in himself,” said Blue Jays hitting coach David Popkins. “The way he walks, the way he works, everything is showing elite confidence and when he’s confident, he’s a very tough guy to get out.”
Popkins makes sure to clarify that such confidence has always been there for Clement. It’s not like it just sprung up out of nowhere. The October stage, though, watered and nurtured it.
“I think (the playoffs) probably revealed it a little more and confirmed it for him of how good he really is,” said Popkins. “He always had belief in himself, how good he was, how special his bat was. And I think that just confirmed it even more for him and kind of was like, ‘Ah, see I told you so.’”
Clement’s swing mechanics are rather simple. He doesn’t complicate or overanalyze them and maintains a few boxes he likes to check, with his set-up posture being one of them. That’s helped him “avoid the valleys,” notes Popkins, who adds that Clement’s unique plate coverage is similar to that of three-time batting champ Jose Altuve.
Both have the ability to barrel pitches not only in the four quadrants but also outside of the strike zone.
“It’s scary for a pitcher because you know you want to throw the ball below the zone, but if it’s not bouncing in the dirt, (Clement’s) probably going to hit it,” said Popkins. “So, I think his creativity and adjustability is what makes it so tough to get him out.”
Clement hit .245 last year against breaking pitches, which he saw 34.7 per cent of the time. This season, he’s being fed a steadier dose of breaking pitches (37.9 per cent) and has clearly adjusted, hitting .390. Additionally, he remains one of the hardest players to strike out in the sport with a 99th-percentile K rate.
All of that leads Schneider to believe that Clement is continuing to evolve.
“We all know he’s a pretty aggressive swinger, but I think he’s getting a better feel for what he should offer at,” said the manager. “It’s almost at the point where you’re kind of surprised when he strikes out, when he swings and misses, really. He’s got such a unique ability to adjust up, down, in, out.
“He’s one of those guys who finds hits.”
Clement credits Schneider and the Blue Jays’ coaching staff for allowing him to embrace his strengths and essentially be himself. In turn, that’s afforded him the freedom to deploy an ultra-aggressive approach at the plate.
There are times where he’ll swing at the first pitch of an at-bat and ground out weakly. Yet, there are other times where he’ll lace an outside-the-zone slider into the gap. The Blue Jays are willing to live with the former to receive the latter.
“Now I’ve just got a ton of opportunity and I’m taking advantage,” said Clement. “When I was in Cleveland, I didn’t lean into my strengths. Obviously, you’re always trying to get better, but I was just a little bit more passive. I was trying to maybe get a couple more homers and that’s just not my game. So, I’ve fully changed my approach and just found what works.”
Clement’s relationship with hockey is well-documented. The Rochester, N.Y., native had about a dozen members from his off-season Thursday afternoon hockey team in attendance on Monday. Those are among the people in his inner circle and that select group matters greatly to Clement.
When discussing his newfound level of fame, Clement bristles against calling himself a star.
“I don’t know about that,” he said. “Honestly, I show up and I love the game of baseball, and I’m really lucky that I get to do this every single day. I have my people who I love very much and feel dear to me and, as long as I have them, that’s all I really care about.
“The fact that I get to play a game for a living is the coolest thing in the world. So, I don’t know if you’d call it stardom. I feel like I’m just a pretty normal guy who loves the game of baseball. And I’m just really lucky and blessed to be able to do what I love every single day.”