Ernie James Clement...Attended the University of Virginia from 2015-17, earning third-team All-ACC selections in 2016 and 2017...Part of the Cavaliers run to the 2015 College World Series title, going 3-for-4 with an RBI in Game 2 of the final series against Vanderbilt...Fanned just 31 times in 745 career at-bats for the Cavs...Was named a 2017 Preseason All-American (first team by D1Baseball, second team by Baseball America).
2024
Set career-highs this season in games played (139), at-bats (434), hits (114), doubles (21), home runs (12) and RBI (51)...Named an American League Gold Glove finalist at third base...Recorded 16 DRS this season (10 at 3B & six at SS), T-8th most in the Majors...His 10 DRS at the hot corner were tied for second most among MLB third basemen...Made 82% of his backhand plays defensively. Sixth best in MLB...Notched 41 strikeouts in 452 PA¡¯s (9.1%), the second-best strikeout rate in MLB (min. 400 PA), trailing only Luis Arraez (4.3%)...Hit the highest (4.60 ft) and fourth-highest (4.18 ft) pitches for HR¡¯s in MLB in 2024, as well as the third-lowest (0.91 ft)...With runners in scoring position and two out, hit . 333 (21-for-63) with six doubles, a HR, 22 RBI, and an .840 OPS...As a pinch hitter, went 5-for-13 (.385) with a double, a homer and two RBI (1.121 OPS)...Hit .329 on low breaking pitches on the year, tied for third best in the Majors (.240 PA)...Put 52% of his swings in play against non-fastballs on the year, 2nd-highest in MLB (min. 240 PA)...Struck out only four times in 61 plate appearances against left-handed pitching (6.6%), the best rate in MLB (min. 240 PA)...Made the Opening Day roster for the second time in his career (CLE - 2022)...On March 30 at TB, notched a pair of singles...Hit .389 (21-for-54) through his first 31 career games with the Blue Jays, the highest AVG through a player¡¯s first 31 games in franchise history (min. 50 AB)...Hit his first career pinch-hit home run on April 5 at NYY, opening the scoring in the seventh inning...The blast was just the second Blue Jays PH-HR at the current Yankee Stadium (Danny Jansen - April 22, 2023)...Smacked his second homer of the year on April 21 at SD...The pitch was measured at 4.18 ft off the ground, the fourth-highest pitch hit for a home run in MLB in 2024...In the month of June, hit .318 (14-for-44) with five doubles, a home run, six RBI and an .833 OPS...Homered in consecutive games for the first time in his career from July 9-10 at SF, finishing 3-for-4 with a career-high four RBI, his second three-hit game on the year...The pitch he took deep off RHP Logan Webb was measured at 0.91 feet off the ground, the third-lowest pitch hit for a home run in MLB in 2024...Recorded his first career walk-off hit on July 26 vs. TEX with an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth...On Aug. 22 vs. LAA, homered on a pitch that was measured at 4.60 ft off the ground, the highest pitch hit for a home run this season and the second-highest hit in the pitch tracking era (Kyle Higashioka - 4.61 ft on June 12, 2022 vs. CHC)... Homered in three consecutive games for the first time in his career.
2023
Was a non-roster invite to Oakland¡¯s Spring Training... Release by the A¡¯s on March 12 and signed by the Blue Jays on March 14... Recalled from Triple-A Buffalo on May 23...Made his Toronto debut that night at TB, going 1-for-1 while playing the final 2.0 innings at shortstop... Pitched the eighth inning on June 19 at MIA (1.0, 3H, ER), his third career pitching performance and 1st as a Blue Jay... Drove in the game-winning run with a pinch-hit single in the 8th on June 20 at MIA... Hit his first home run as a Blue Jay in the fifth inning on Sept. 1 at COL before notching his first career triple in the ninth... Finished the game 2-for-5 with three RBI... Went 3-for-5 with an RBI single in the ninth inning on Sept. 2 at COL...Was his second career three-hit game (also: Aug. 6, 2021 vs. DET)... His .388 AVG through his first 28 games with the team was the highest in franchise history over such a span (2nd: Shea Hillenbrand - .387 AVG in 2005)... Appeared in 72 games for the Bisons, batting .348 (100-for-287) with 21 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs and 58 RBI (.401 OBP, .945 OPS).
2022
Was on the Opening Day roster for Cleveland and batted .200 with three doubles and six RBI in 63 games over two stints with the Guardians¡also went 1-for-18 (.056) in six games with the A¡¯s and batted a combined .184 with four doubles, six RBI and a .452 OPS in 69 games in the Majors....Hit .196 (15-for-78) with a .450 OPS against left-handed pitchers compared to .176 (15-for85) with a .453 OPS against right-handers....Batted .186 with runners in scoring position....Had a .211 batting average and .506 OPS in 53 games before the All-Star Break¡then hit .086 with a .249 OPS in 16 games after the break....Made his most starts in the batting order from the seven spot (21)¡started in every spot from sixth through ninth and also made one start batting second...Spent the balance of the season with Triple-A Columbus where he hit .238 with four home runs, 17 RBI and a .729 OPS in 21 games....Struck out just eight times in 80 at bats and averaged 10.88 plate appearances per strikeout....Hit .400 (6-for-15) with a 1.271 OPS against left-handed pitchers, .200 (13-for-65) with a .600 OPS against right-handers....Batted .159 with the bases empty, .333 with all four of his home runs with runners on¡had a .360 batting average with runners in scoring position....Hit .324 with a .937 OPS at home, .174 with a .572 OPS on the road....Made nine starts at second base, seven at third base and five at shortstop¡committed two errors at third (.909 fielding percentage) and one at second (.968)....Batted first, fifth, sixth and seventh in the order....DAY-BY-DAY: Was on the Opening Day roster for Cleveland and hit safely in each of his first three games (4-for-8, .500), giving him a career-high five-game hitting streak dating back to Sept. 21, 2021¡had two hits April 10 at Kansas City, his first of five two-hit games¡went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts on April 13 at Cincinnati, his second career three-strikeout game (also Aug. 18, 2021 at Minnesota)¡had a career-high 0-for-17 streak from April 21 to 29¡ finished April with a .182 batting average in 15 games but then hit .308 in 14 games in May¡ doubled on May 4 against San Diego but followed that with a 37-game streak without an extra base hit from May 7-Oct. 2¡that was the third longest such streak in the majors in 2022¡ matched his career high with an 0-for-17 streak from June 19 to July 3¡made his professional debut as a pitcher on June 27 in an 11-1 loss to Minnesota (1.0 ip, 4 h, 2 r, 2 er, 1 wp)¡ took to the mound again on July 2 in a 13-4 loss to New York-AL (1.0 ip, 2 h, 2 r, 2 er, 2 hr)¡ surrendered back-to-back home runs against the Yankees (Carpenter, Trevino)¡went 4-for-36 (.111) in the month of June¡had a career-high tying five-game hitting streak from July 5-12 (6-for-14, .429) and hit .243 in July¡was batting .203 with three doubles and six RBI in 58 games when he was optioned to Triple-A Columbus on Aug. 2¡went 6-for-32 (.188) with two RBI over his first nine games through Aug. 13¡then hit .271 with four home runs and 15 RBI over his next 12 contests and was batting .237 in 21 games overall with the Clippers when he returned to Cleveland on Sept. 1¡went 0-for-2 in five games in September and was designated for assignment on Sept. 20¡was claimed off waivers by Oakland on Sept. 23 and went 0-for-9 over his first three games¡doubled on Oct. 3 against Los Angeles (AL) for his only hit with the A¡¯s, snapping a career-high tying 0-for-17 streak overall¡went 1-for-18 (.056) in his six games with Oakland.
2021
Enjoyed three stints with the Major League club in 2021, his first taste of the Major Leagues in his fifth professional season...Was with the club on May 30th (27th player, DH), June 13-Aug. 25 and again from Sept. 15-23...Was placed on the COVID IL, Aug. 26-Sept. 6, with a non-COVID illness and rehabbed at AA Akron, Sept. 4-5...Made his ML debut on June 13 vs. Seattle, collecting his first hit on June 15 vs. Baltimore (4th inning 1B off Matt Harvey)¡Hit his first two home runs, August 13 at Detroit, the first of which came off Tyler Alexander (first career multi-HR game as a professional)¡Over his last 14 games with Cleveland, he batted .277 (13-for-47) with 7 RS, 5 XBH and 5 RBI...Positionally with Cleveland he appeared in 22 games at 2B (22 GS), 16 games at 3B (13GS), two games in LF and one start at SS...Hit .421 (8-for-19) when swinging at the first pitch...Around his three stints in Cleveland he appeared in 33 games in AAA Columbus, batting .250 (31-for- 124) with 12 2B, a 3B, a HR, 10 RBI and 11 runs in 33 games w/AAA Columbus in 2021¡Missed two weeks in mid-May (hamstring)¡Triple-A positional starts (7 GS 2B, 12 GS 3B, 5 GS LF; 6 GS SS).
2020
Spent 2020 season at the club's Alternate Training Site in Lake County...Was a member of the 12-player Taxi Squad in September...Added to the 40-man roster on Nov. 20... Batted .280 (7-for-25) in ML spring training camp as an invitee (15 games, 4 RBI, 0SO).
2019
Spent most of the season at AA Akron, appearing in 98 games...Finished the season in Columbus, appearing in three regular season games and all eight postseason games for the Int'l League champs (.281, 9-for-32, three runs, two RBI)...Was on the 7-day IL at Akron with a right adductor strain, April 18-May 8...Appeared in 90 games at SS and three at second base for Akron...Combined on the year he hit .315 (35-for-111) against left-handed pitching...After the season, played all around the diamond in the Arizona Fall League, batting .261 (12-for-46) with 2B, three RBIs and four runs in 13 games for Mesa.
2018
Spent first full professional season between Single-A Lake County, Lynchburg and AA Akron, hitting a combined .289 (121-for-419) with 26 doubles, two triples, two home runs and 33 RBIs in 102 games (.358 on-base pct)... Struck out only 35 times in 471 plate appearances and drew 41 walks...Voted as having the Best Strike-Zone Discipline in Indians Farm System by Baseball America entering 2019... Appeared at short stop in all 97 games in the field...Was on the 7-day DL in May (left knee strain) and July (left groin strain).
2017
Appeared in 21 games at short and 17 games at second base after signing his first pro contract on 6/22.
