Blue Jays' Utility Man Will Have Chance for Breakout Season as Likely Starter
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With spring training quickly approaching for the Toronto Blue Jays, the team is getting set to try to replicate what a great season in 2025 was. However, after a busy offseason, there will be some changes.
Despite a lot of success in 2025 and nearly winning the World Series, the Blue Jays have their work cut out for them this year. Fortunately, the team was very aggressive in trying to improve and didn’t simply try to run it back.
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A lot of the attention was geared toward the starting rotation, and that makes a lot of sense considering where the unit was last year. The addition of Dylan Cease provides the team with a front-end starter who is capable of starting a Game 1 of a playoff series. Furthermore, they also added Cody Ponce, who should provide some excellent depth to the rotation.
While the rotation improved, the team did see starting shortstop Bo Bichette leave in free agency. This is going to be a significant loss for the team offensively, but they do have some quality depth in their infield, and the unit might be alright without him.
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently wrote about Ernie Clement being a player who could have a breakout season. With the path cleared at second base for him to start, that could very well be the case.
Clement Will Have Opportunity to Shine
Due to the departure of Bichette, the infield is going to have a new look for Toronto in 2026. Sliding over to shortstop for the team will be Andres Gimenez. The talented defender battled injuries and had a tough first year with the franchise, but he will undoubtedly provide them with an excellent glove at the position. Furthermore, with Gimenez sliding over to shortstop, it will clear the way for Clement to start at second base.
The talented utility man really burst onto the scene for the Blue Jays in the postseason, slashing .411/.416/.562 with 30 hits in 18 games. His performance certainly could have played a part in the team's decision not to bring back Bichette, with a potential desire to get him more playing time.
While Clement likely won’t be able to sustain the success of the playoffs over the course of an entire season, that performance could be an indication of things to come in 2026. Given the opportunity to start, there is reason to believe he can have a breakout season.
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Nick Ziegler is an alumnus of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. He has been working in sports media covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL for nearly a decade with various publications online. With his free time, Nick enjoys being at the Jersey Shore with his wife, daughter, and their golden retriever. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @NickZiegler20.