The Toronto Blue Jays were the story of the 2025 Major League Baseball season, but in 2026 they’ve been highly disappointing, with the team heading into the All-Star break sitting at 45-51, firmly in last place in the American League East.
Despite this, the team have two All-Stars after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. opted out of the event to deal with a nagging injury, with both Ernie Clement and Dylan Cease set to represent the team on Tuesday in Philadelphia. While some fans are upset with the voting process that allowed Clement to be named an All-Star, we now know what role he will play for the American League when the All-Star Game takes place.
Ernie Clement to hit 9th for the American League
GettyErnie Clement of the Toronto Blue Jays.
For most of the 2026 season, Ernie Clement has played a key role for the Blue Jays lineup, and in the weeks leading into the All-Star break, he was hitting first or second in the lineup. That comes on the back of a start that sees Clement hitting .296 with a .761 OPS to go along with 106 hits and 23 doubles, with the latter leading all hitters in the American League.
However, in the All-Star Game, Clement’s role for the AL will be much smaller, and with the lineups being announced, it has been revealed that Clement will be hitting in the 9-hole while playing second base.
Clement will get the opportunity to share the field with teammate Dylan Cease, who was announced as the All-Star starter heading into the weekend, with the Blue Jays set to be well represented despite their overall team struggles.
Ernie Clement Earns All-Star Opportunity
Many fans, mostly Yankees fans, were upset with the way that Clement was given his first All-Star nod in his career, as the fanbase covering an entire country allowed him an automatic spot in the All-Star Game as the highest vote getter in the first phase of voting.
However, he earned this chance by being a consistent, exciting hitter, as he backed up his historic MLB Playoffs run (the most hits in a single post-season in league history) with a red-hot start to the year, as he ranks third in the American League in hits with 106 while also adding 8 home runs and 32 RBI. Clearly though, he’s among one of the worst players in the AL lineup, with stars such as Yordan Alvarez, Junior Caminero, Mike Trout, Ben Rice and Bobby Witt Jr. littered throughout an incredibly talented lineup.
It’s unclear how long Clement will stay in the game given that Travis Bazzana and Miguel Vargas both find themselves on the All-Star roster as well, so while this was an opportunity well earned throughout a career of struggle and needing to earn every little reward that he gets, don’t be surprised to see Clement hit once and find himself on the bench. Regardless of playing time, being an All-Star for the first time is an honor, and it’s one that Clement deserves and will likely be grateful for.
Blue Jays’ Ernie Clement Announcement Made Ahead of All-Star Game