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Ernie Clement, third baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays, continued to make Brighton, New York, residents proud by setting an all-time Major League Baseball record for postseason hits.
The 2014 Brighton High School graduate and a member of the 2010s all-decade All-Greater Rochester Baseball Team continued his good play Saturday night Nov. 1 in Game 7 of the World Series versus the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In the eighth inning, Clement broke the Major League Baseball postseason hits record with his 30th knock this autumn and his third of Game 7. He exceeded the previous record set by the Rays’ Randy Arozarena in 2020.
At that point, Clement was 3-for-4 with a run scored in a Game 7 the Blue Jays were leading. He also has a 13-game postseason hit streak, a Blue Jays franchise record.
In the bottom of the second inning, Clement singled against Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani with two outs, loading the bases. Shortstop Andres Gimenez then struck out, ending the Blue Jays’ inning with no runs scoring.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Clement led off against Dodgers relief pitcher Justin Wrobleski and grounded out.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Clement led off against Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow and lined a single to left field. Clement went on to steal second base and score the Blue Jays’ fourth run of Game 7 on a Gimenez double.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Clement, leading off once again, doubled off of Dodgers reliever Emmet Sheehan.
Ernie Clement: From Brighton NY to the big leagues
Clement, 29 was born and raised in Brighton, where his local legend began.
A three-time All-Greater Rochester selection and the Democrat and Chronicle’s Baseball Player of the Decade (2010–2019), Clement set multiple Brighton records, including a .464 career batting average, 34 doubles, and 38 stolen bases.
At the University of Virginia, he became a 2015 College World Series champion as a freshman and was named to the All-College World Series Team. He went on to hit .306 over three seasons, earning All-ACC Third-Team honors twice and MVP awards in both the Northwoods and Cape Cod summer leagues.
Clement played against the Rochester Red Wings multiple times as a member of the Buffalo Bisons.
Drafted by Cleveland in the fourth round in 2017, Clement made his MLB debut in 2021. He was claimed off waivers by Oakland in 2022 before finding a perfect fit across the border. The Blue Jays signed him to a minor-league deal in 2023, and he’s been a staple in their lineup ever since.
Ernie Clement could make Gold Glove history
Clement’s bat has drawn attention this October, but his defense has been elite all season. He’s a 2025 Rawlings Gold Glove finalist at both third base and utility, with some of the best defensive metrics in the majors.
- +11 Defensive Runs Saved
- +6 Outs Above Average at third base
- +13 OAA across all positions
- 2.9 Defensive WAR (tied for most in MLB)
- If he wins in both categories, he’d become the first player to earn Gold Glove at multiple positions in the same year. Only three other players in history have won a Gold Glove at multiple positions in their career: Darin Erstad (outfield and first base), Placido Polanco (second base and third base) and DJ LeMahieu (second base and utility).
Career year and national recognition
In 2025, Clement ranked 12th in the American League in batting average (.277) and sixth in doubles (35) while playing elite defense at four different positions (15 games at 1B, 60 at 2B, 89 at 3B, 29 at SS). He was Toronto’s Heart and Hustle Award winner, recognized for his leadership and effort on and off the field.
It’s been a steady rise from Brighton, where a young Clement once took swings at rolled-up socks tossed by his dad, to MLB’s brightest lights.
Ernie Clement career stats
- 2021 (Cleveland): 40 games; 121 at-bats; 28 hits; .231 avg.; 4 doubles; 3 home runs; 9 RBI; 16 runs; 7 walks; 19 strikeouts; 0 SB; 1 CS
- 2022 (Cleveland): 63 games; 145 at-bats; 29 hits; .200 avg.; 3 doubles; 0 home runs; 6 RBI; 18 runs; 11 walks; 24 strikeouts; 0 SB; 1 CS
- 2022 (Oakland): 6 games; 18 at-bats; 1 hit; .056 avg.; 1 double; 0 home runs; 0 RBI; 1 run; 0 walks; 2 strikeouts; 0 SB; 0 CS
- 2022 (Total): 69 games; 163 at-bats; 30 hits; .184 avg.; 4 doubles; 0 home runs; 6 RBI; 19 runs; 11 walks; 26 strikeouts; 0 SB; 1 CS
- 2023 (Toronto): 29 games; 50 at-bats; 19 hits; .380 avg.; 1 double; 1 triple; 1 home run; 10 RBI; 7 runs; 1 walk; 4 strikeouts; 1 SB; 0 CS
- 2024 (Toronto): 139 games; 434 at-bats; 114 hits; .263 avg.; 21 doubles; 3 triples; 12 home runs; 51 RBI; 48 runs; 11 walks; 41 strikeouts; 12 SB; 3 CS
- 2025 (Toronto): 157 games; 545 at-bats; 151 hits; .277 avg.; 35 doubles; 2 triples; 9 home runs; 50 RBI; 83 runs; 27 walks; 61 strikeouts; 6 SB; 5 CS
- Career: 434 games; 1,313 at-bats; 342 hits; .260 avg.; 65 doubles; 6 triples; 25 home runs; 126 RBI; 173 runs; 57 walks; 151 strikeouts; 19 SB; 10 CS
