3 Blue Jays players who could see a larger role in 2025, 2 who should not

Ernie Clement

After struggling in his earlier stints in the majors with the Cleveland Guardians and Oakland Athletics, Ernie Clement has taken off with the opportunities that the Jays have presented to him. Clement had already gave a brief glimpse of his potential last season with the Jays when he posted a stellar .380 average, .885 OPS with 7 runs scored, 1 home run and 10 RBI while striking out only four times in 50 total at-bats.

Clement continued that success this year in training camp, as he ultimately secured himself a spot on the Jays’ 26-man roster heading into the season. After playing mainly in a part-time role during the first half of 2024, Clement was elevated to mostly starter status since the turn of the month in July. Most importantly, he has performed admirably in whatever role was given to him.

On the year, Clement has compiled a solid .261 average, .692 OPS, along with 46 runs scored, 11 home runs, 48 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 398 at-bats over 129 games played. With also a keen eye at the plate, he has only struck out a grand total of 37 times this season for a less than 10% strikeout rate. On top of that, he has put his elite infield defense on full display, registering an impressive 17 DRS and a solid .964 fielding percentage in the process.

Barring any major moves by the Jays this offseason, Clement would appear to be the front runner for the everyday job at third base for 2025. If he could actually improve just a bit more on his power and offensive production, ladies and gentlemen, we could be staring at Matt Chapman 2.0 but with way better plate discipline.