Toronto Blue Jays make announcement regarding Ernie Clement

The Blue Jays made it official on Tuesday, Clement has been named to Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. MLB.com also noted USA Baseball announced it on social media, setting up Clement's first WBC run.

Clement is a Rochester, New York native, and he has taken the long road to this kind of stage. Cleveland drafted him in 2017 in the fourth round, 132nd overall, and he's now become a real piece for Toronto.

His 2025 regular season line tells you why Team USA wants the versatility. He logged 545 at-bats, hit .277, popped nine homers, drove in 50, and chipped in six steals with a .711 OPS.

Then October turned him into a folk hero. MLB.com credits him with 30 postseason hits, an MLB single-postseason record, while batting .411 with a .977 OPS and hits in 16 of 18 games.

On Team USA, Clement's job won't be glamorous, but it's usually decisive in a short tournament. He can cover second, third, and short in a pinch, and he puts the ball in play when strikeouts kill rallies.

That contact style matters because WBC bullpens are stacked, and games flip fast. One tough at-bat, one clean turn on a double play, that's how a bench guy becomes a nightly storyline.

The roster will get the headlines from the big bats and huge arms, but Clement fits the glue role perfectly. Team USA opens Pool B play on March 6 against Brazil in Houston, and these games get weird quickly.

Back in Toronto, this also ties into a real 2026 question, where do the infield at-bats land. MLB.com floated Clement as the likely starting second baseman, with Andrés Giménez expected to slide to shortstop.

For Clement, the next milestone is simple and fun, play meaningful innings in March, then bring that edge back to a Blue Jays camp that still thinks it can win big again.

Source: Sportsnet
Blue Jays' Ernie Clement named to Team USA for World Baseball Classic