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TORONTO, CANADA - JUNE 6: Ernie Clement #22 of the Toronto Blue Jays is dumped with sports drink during his post game interview after playing the Baltimore Orioles in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on June 6, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tara Walton/Getty Images)

The Toronto Blue Jays’ 2026 season has been nothing short of a roller coaster. If you’d rather smooth and steady, you’d love yourself some Ernie Clement.

One former Blue Jay has taken a liking to Clement’s perseverance through an interesting MLB career thus far. 

Kevin Pillar Praises Clements Game Play

Kevin Pillar, a former Blue Jay known for his incredible center field defense, had nothing but good to say about Clement. 

Recently, on Blue Bird Territory (a part of the Foul Territory Network), he marveled at Clement’s success: 

“It’s crazy to think not too long ago this player was DFA’d,” Pillar said. “He came to Toronto as a fairly unknown player, and not only has he turned himself into a fan favorite, but he’s turned himself into who I probably consider to be the Blue Jays’ most valuable player.”

He continued, “I’m very, very happy that John Schneider finally moved him up in the order. I know he had kind of bounced around in that two-hole and led off a couple times with some injuries. Is he your prototypical five-hitter in the major league lineup? Probably not. But does he just know how to get the job done? Absolutely. I would even go as far as to say that, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s struggles and here he is, and the inconsistency, I would bat him third right now. If you’re able to get guys on, who would you rather have up right now? Vladdy or Ernie Clement? And it’s not to say that Ernie is a better player than Vladdy, it’s just that the level of production he brings to the table every night.” 

Clement in 2026

Clement is slashing .306/.326/.460 this season. Good for an OPS of .786 and 1.3 WAR. 

Last season, the shifty infielder made his name known by dominating the MLB playoffs. But before October, people are quick to forget that Clement had a 4-win season with the Jays. 

His contact-oriented approach is a gritty old-school style you don’t often come across. The modernity of baseball has left most players like Clement in the dust, and not in the way where they’re getting dirty to rob a single. 

Players such as Clement, Seattle’s Brendan Donovan, and Tampa Bay’s Chandler Simpson have kept old-school baseball alive–and MLB is loving it. 

MLB Reacts to Clement’s Season

Here’s what people are saying: 

Just Baseball Media: “Ernie Clement goes deep off Cristopher Sánchez to raise his wRC+ to 122! It’s the first home run Sánchez has surrendered since April 23rd .”

Jomboy Media: “Orioles pitcher Shane Baz stared down umpires after they didn’t rule Blue Jays’ Ernie Clement was out of the baseline. The double play would’ve ended the inning and instead allowed the Blue Jays to keep scoring.”

Nick Ashbourne: “Before Ernie Clement joined the Blue Jays, he’d never topped 4 HR in a season at any pro level. Now his SLG of .472 leads all AL 2B, and he’s earning serious All-Star consideration based primarily on his offence. He’s come a long way.”

Underdog MLB: “Crew chief Hunter Wendelstedt on Ernie Clement establishing wide base path on potential double play ball, via @afkostka: ‘It was actually a very gentlemanly thing to do … getting out of the way to allow the fielder to make the play to first base.’”

Baseball Is Dead: “Yes, Cristopher Sanchez just gave up his first homer since April 23rd, but the offensive season Ernie Clement is putting together deserves some love.”