Blue Jays news: How Ernie Clement’s All-Star voting total left 1 insider in shock

The Toronto Blue Jays’ quest for World Series redemption has not gone as planned through the first half of the 2026 MLB season, as injuries, an underachieving lineup and a Dylan Cease-dependent starting pitching rotation have combined to produce a 39-42 record. Fans remain fully invested in the 2025 American League champions, however. The 6 is coming out in full force during the early stages of All-Star voting. One specific result amazed a longtime baseball writer.

“No surprise that Shohei Ohtani received the most NL votes but absolutely stunning that Ernie Clement earns the most AL All Star votes,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale posted on X. The utility infielder epitomizes the Blue Jays’ contact-heavy approach at the plate, as he follows up a historic postseason with a productive 2026 campaign. Clement is a breath of fresh air in a game that can be overwhelmed by launch angle and barrel rate.

But he is not producing numbers worthy of the AL’s best. Despite posting an impressive .294 batting average, a respectable .438 slugging percentage and an AL-best 20 doubles (tied with Athletics outfielder Tyler Soderstrom), the 30-year-old right-handed hitter carries a surprisingly low .315 on-base percentage and a modest .753 OPS through 78 games.

He certainly deserves to represent his team in Citizens Bank Park at the 2026 Fall Classic, but there are at least a few players who warrant more love from the fans. Even so, this trend highlights Toronto’s rabid support, as well as Clement’s unforeseen rise.

It took the 2017 fourth-round draft pick quite a while to secure a consistent role for himself in The Show. When he posted an MLB-record 30 hits in the 2025 playoffs, many people (including this writer) were skeptical that he could stay hot heading into this year. The man continues to put the ball in play.

Ernie Clement will pinch himself and get refocused, as the Blue Jays try to end a three-game skid and climb the Wild Card standings in Friday’s home matchup versus the Texas Rangers (39-42).

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