BY DAN GLICKMAN
Brighton graduate Ernie Clement, second baseman and utilityman of the Toronto Blue Jays, now leads American League players in MLB All-Star Game voting.
The announcement on Monday has Clement with 2,054,130 votes, behind only Shohei Ohtani (2,310,735) in all of baseball. Clement’s placement is an improvement from the last voting update on June 15 – in the week since, he’s passed Mike Trout, Aaron Judge, and Yordan Alvarez. If he can maintain his American League lead through Thursday at noon, he will automatically earn a spot in the All-Star Game. If not, he’ll be in “Phase 2” voting between himself and the other top vote-getter at second base for the starting spot at second base.
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This season, Clement is hitting .292 and is tied for the AL lead in doubles, with 20.
No Rochester-born player has been selected for the All-Star Game since pitcher Johnny Antonelli made six All-Star Games in the 1950s, his last in 1959. The only other player born in the Rochester to earn All-Star selections is pitcher Bob Keegan (1954), although Lima-born Ken O’Dea (1945) and Seneca Falls-born Dave Giusti (1973) have also earned All-Star honors.
Other players of interest to Rochester-area baseball fans include Washington Nationals’ shortstop CJ Abrams, who leads the National League at his position. Other former Red Wings in All-Star voting contention include Byron Buxton (third in AL outfield voting), Luis Arraez (fifth in NL second base voting), and James Wood (seventh in NL outfield voting).
The 2026 Major League Baseball All-Star Game is scheduled for July 14 in Philadelphia.
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