It is safe to say that Ernie Clement has been a pleasant surprise for the Toronto Blue Jays being one of the most consistent and reliable hitters they have, but there is one area of his game that needs a lot of work.
It was revealed today that Ernie Clement is in the top 5 of all the MLB for the longest consecutive plate appearance without drawing a walk. He is ranked 4th where he has not drawn a walk in 75 appearances, which is close to 20 games.
Longest active Plate Appearance streak without a walk
-
At the end of the day, walks matter, but if he is hitting and getting on base in other ways, the walk stat can be overrated. In his case, it makes a difference due to the fact his OBP (on base percentage) is shockingly low for league average. With a solid .267 batting average, and a .288 OBP, it should be at well into the mid .300 where league average is .312.
Nonetheless, Clement has solidified himself as a an everyday player, and if he can increase his walk rate, his average and numbers will sky rocket next season.
Are walks overrated?
Also read on Blue Jays Insider :
John Schneider gives interesting take on Bo Bichette's injury