TORONTO -- Ernie Clement is your starting second baseman for the American League in the 2026 All-Star Game, another remarkable moment in his unlikely rise to stardom.
Clement led all American League players with 3,232,932 votes in Phase 1, meaning he’ll bypass Phase 2 of voting entirely and start at second base. As for the National League, in news that will be a little less surprising to the rest of the baseball world, Shohei Ohtani led all vote-getters and has earned a starting spot in his sixth All-Star Game.
By the time the voting process is over, Clement should have some friends along for the ride, too. John Schneider will manage the AL team alongside select members of the Blue Jays’ staff, while Alejandro Kirk, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Andrés Giménez, Kazuma Okamoto, Daulton Varsho, Jesús Sánchez and George Springer all finished in the top two (or top six for outfielders) at their respective positions, which advances them to Phase 2.
In Phase 2, all of the tallies are reset to zero and voting will begin at noon ET on Monday. Fans have 72 hours to cast their ballots, as voting will end at noon on Thursday, July 2. The winners will be announced on Saturday, July 4, at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
As a first-time All-Star, Clement’s massive vote total may be surprising to some fans in U.S. markets -- even after his record-setting postseason in 2025 -- but he’s quickly become one of the most beloved athletes in Canada.
He’s the perfect player for Canada’s team, too, a gritty infielder who was released by the A’s in 2023 before signing a Minor League deal with the Blue Jays. He’s earned everything that has come to him and done it with a personality that’s immediately connected him with fans. It helps that he’s a hockey nut, too, keeping a stick above his locker next to his bats. When the Blue Jays gave away an Ernie Clement replica hockey jersey earlier this year, there were lines outside like we’ve never seen before for a game in April.
When the news dropped Thursday before Toronto's 6-5 loss to the Rangers, Clement was taken aback and praised Blue Jays fans across the country.
“It’s a really cool honour,” Clement said. “I feel the love from Canada and all the Blue Jays fans. It means a lot.”
The nod was no surprise to Schneider, not only because of Clement's play, but because of the way he’s embraced, and been embraced by, those who fill Rogers Centre every night to cheer on the team.
“It’s his style of play and his grittiness,” said Schneider. “He’s an open book with fans. He doesn’t really say no to people’s requests, whether he’s going good or going bad. He’s a likeable guy who got put on the stage in the postseason, and he’s carried it over. For a guy who we picked up off the waiver wire from Oakland a few years ago, to be here right now? It’s pretty cool.”
On the field, Clement is batting .294 with a .753 OPS at the midway point of the season, his 20 doubles tied for the most in the American League. He’s started games batting in every spot in the lineup other than fourth and ninth, too, one of Schneider’s favorite movable pieces given his ability to make contact and adapt to any pitcher he’s facing.
When looking back on the journey to this point, Clement has always believed he could be a contributor at the Major League level. All he needed was an opportunity.
“Belief in myself, staying true to who I am and just never giving up,” Clement said. “I got DFA’d twice, I’ve been released, I’ve been optioned more times than I can count. I stuck around long enough to earn more and more opportunities. I’m just so grateful to Toronto, the coaches, the staff, the front office [that] has given me an amazing opportunity. The least I can do is play well and give it back to them.”
Now, at 30, he’s an All-Star. When the Blue Jays first acquired Clement, it felt like he’d be just another piece of Minor League depth, one of the forgettable moves we see dozens of times each season. Instead, he’s grown into one of the most important players in this organization, beloved by fans across the country who have voted him into the Midsummer Classic.