The 4 best Blue Jays development stories of 2024

Ernie Clement

For someone who had kicked around the league for quite a few seasons, Ernie Clement finally found his niche with Toronto this year. After previously producing some underwhelming numbers with the Cleveland Guardians and Oakland Athletics, Clement took a huge step forward in his professional baseball career since joining the Jays’ organization in 2023. He impressed last year with his late season stint when he hit an eye-popping .380 with 1 home run and 10 RBI in just 50 at-bats over 29 games played.

This year, Clement managed to make the team out of training camp with his strong spring showing. Starting the season predominantly in a part-time, rotational reserve role, he gradually saw more game action as the year progressed due to his solid play both at the plate and in the field. By the time July rolled around, Clement practically found himself as the everyday starter at third base. When utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa was ultimately traded at the deadline to Pittsburgh, that officiallymade Clement a mainstay in the Jays’ lineup for the remainder of the season. 

Clement certainly did not disappoint, as for his 2024 campaign, he amassed a solid .263 batting average, .692 OPS, along with 48 runs scored, 21 doubles, 12 home runs, 51 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 139 games played. It was by far his best ever season in the majors. Clement also displayed his wizardry on defense in the infield, registering a whopping 16 DRS in the process. The Jays may have lost star third baseman Matt Chapman during the previous offseason. However, the sudden rise of Clement has certainly made it a lot more palatable as a result.