Ernie Clement details struggles, breakthrough with Blue Jays – CityNews Toronto

Posted March 26, 2026 11:23 am. Last Updated March 26, 2026 11:34 am. Ernie Clement’s new first‑person piece in The Players’ Tribune lands just as the Toronto Blue Jays prepare to open their season at home on Friday, with the fan-favourite discussing his rise from minor-league signing to near-World Series hero. The 30-year-old enters the new season on Friday with even bigger expectations as an everyday player as the club looks for someone, or a collective group, to fill the absence of Bo Bichette, who departed as a free agent. Clement wrote candidly about the early years of his career, when he bounced between organizations and struggled to find traction at the plate, describing the grind of trying to stay afloat in the minors and the uncertainty that came with being released, waived, and overlooked. “Of the minor league deals I got offered as a free agent, a few were for more money. But Toronto was the only team that offered me regular at-bats. They promised I’d be in the lineup ‘four or five times a week.’ That was all I needed to hear,” penned Clement. Clement explains that Toronto’s faith in him — even when his numbers didn’t demand
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