BY DAN GLICKMAN
For the second straight year, Brighton graduate and Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement is up for a Rawlings Gold Glove as one of the best defensive players in baseball. And this time, he’ll have two chances at the award.
Like in 2024, Clement has been named a finalist for the American League award at third base. He’s earned an additional finalist position in the utility category in 2025. Clement faces Kansas City’s Maikel Garcia and Cleveland Guardians’ veteran Jose Ramirez in the third base category, which Alex Bregman won in 2024. Among utilitymen, Clement’s fellow finalists are Cleveland’s Daniel Schneemann and Houston’s Mauricio Dubon.
Clement, currently playing in the American League Championship Series with the Blue Jays, was one of baseball’s top fielders this regular season, leading the American League in Defensive Wins Above Replacement (measuring how much better a player is than a likely replacement player) with 2.9 and in the Range Factor/9 metric (a statistic meant to measure the defensive ability of a player by dividing putouts and assists by the number of innings played) at third base at 2.84, according to Baseball Reference. The 29-year-old played 89 games at third this season, but also filled in at second for 60 games, shortstop for 29, and first base in 15.
His success wasn’t just on the field, as Clement had a career year at the plate as well, finishing with career-highs in most offensive categories in his career-high 157 games played, including hits (151), runs scored (83), doubles (35), batting average (.277), on-base-percentage (.313), and on-base-plus-slugging (.711).
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM JOE TERRITO.
No player born in the Rochester area has ever won a Gold Glove, which has been awarded since 1957. However, several with Rochester connections through their time with the Red Wings have won the award, including nine by Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson, eight each by Orioles-era shortstop Mark Belanger and outfielder Paul Blair, and seven by Hall of Famer Mike Mussina. Other former Red Wings to win Gold Glove awards include Steve Finley (five times), Joe Mauer (three times), Cal Ripken Jr. (twice), and Byron Buxton. The most recent Red Wing alum to win a Gold Glove was Toronto pitcher Jose Berrios, who won the AL award at his position in 2023. Washington Nationals center fielder Jacob Young, who has had two brief rehab stints with the Red Wings, is a finalist for the NL award this season.
Clement, who played college baseball for the University of Virginia, has never played for the Red Wings, having been a part of the Toronto, Cleveland, and then-Oakland Athletics systems. He’s still made plenty of appearances at Innovative Field, however, including playing in Rochester with the Buffalo Bisons and making appearances with other Rochester-area baseball pros at the team store the last two years.
The Gold Glove Award winners will be announced on ESPN on Sunday, Nov. 2.
Leave a Reply