Former Cleveland Guardians draft pick made MLB history in World Series Game 7

Former Cleveland Guardians prospect Ernie Clement made MLB postseason history thanks to a great October run.

Nov 1, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Ernie Clement (22) hits a double against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the eighth inning during game seven of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Cleveland Guardians fans recognized plenty of familiar faces in the 2025 World Series. Specifically, the Toronto Blue Jays featured names from the not-too-distant Guardians past.

Shane Bieber is easily the biggest name of the bunch, though he will go down as the losing pitcher in a heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yet this came after a heroic victory over Shohei Ohtani in Game 4, so he had a solid series overall.

Fans also saw Andres Gimenez in key spots, but it was Ernie Clement who stole the show for Toronto. His team may have lost the series, but he is now an MLB record-holder for most hits in a single postseason, with 30.

Ernie Clement has broken Randy Arozarena’s record for the most hits in a single postseason with 30 hits 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nT37Wrux3b

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 2, 2025

There may be some Guardians fans who don't even know Clement was a 2017 fourth-round pick by Cleveland. Or those who don't remember his 103 games played for the franchise between 2021-2022. That is fair, as he was not doing much and was ultimately designated for assignment late in the 2022 season. At this stage, his career was facing a potential quick end.

Then he found his way to the Blue Jays and the rest is history. He was an everyday player for Toronto in 2025, is a Gold Glove finalist at both third base and the utility role, and now owns the MLB record for most hits in a single postseason run.

Such a situation may have Guardians fans blaming ownership for not spending, which has become the usual narrative. That is fair if talking about Bieber or Gimenez. But with Clement? He falls under a totally different category of being a player who just took longer to develop.

It's also possible that Clement had certain aspects of his game unlocked by the Blue Jays, thanks to different coaches or even just a change of scenery. In this specific scenario, ownership cannot logically take the blame. That would put the focus on the player development capabilities of this front office, particularly when it comes to hitting development.

This shows why the Guardians front office may be hesitant to give up on certain young players. The last thing they want to do is let someone like Clement leave, only to become an international superstar on the game's biggest stage. But it does happen and while fans have a right to be frustrated, it did add some rooting interest against the juggernaut that is the Dodgers.