Ernie Clement’s hometown pride has never been a secret, as the Brighton, N.Y., native has loudly represented his home and never been shy about sharing his affinity for the Buffalo Bills and Sabres.
But after being selected to Team USA for the upcoming World Baseball Classic, the Toronto Blue Jays infielder will get to take that pride to the national level in March — something he said he’s “psyched” to do during a Wednesday appearance on MLB Network.
Perhaps making the moment even more special for Clement was that U.S. manager Mark DeRosa gave him the call as he was on his way to a Sabres game with some friends.
“It’s great news. I was pumped,” Clement said Wednesday, notably sporting a hat with the Sabres’ famous goathead logo. “I’m a big hockey guy. I grew up playing hockey, and my favourite movie is Miracle on Ice, so I’ve always wanted to rep the Red, White and Blue.”
The call to the American squad for this year’s Classic comes on the heels of a breakout 2025 campaign, where Clement emerged as a key cog in the Blue Jays’ run to the World Series.
In 157 regular-season games, the 29-year-old hit .277 with nine homers while leading all of baseball with 22 defensive runs saved.
Clement levelled up in the post-season, however, setting an MLB record for hits in a single playoff run, collecting 30 knocks for the Blue Jays.
“You have to be prepared, you have to be ready,” Clement said of taking advantage of his expanded opportunity in Toronto in 2024 and 2025. “I prepare the same way every day, whether I’m playing or not. And all I care about is winning the baseball game that day.”
“I kept it really simple during the playoffs,” he added. “I just wanted to get on base for all those studs we have in our lineup. It was a simple approach, and it worked.”
Coming off their successful season, the Blue Jays are set to be well-represented at the WBC. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Dominican Republic), Alejandro Kirk (Mexico), Kazuma Okamoto (Japan), José Berríos (Puerto Rico), Cody Ponce (Mexico), Adam Macko (Canada), Leo Jimenez (Panama) and, of course, Clement have all either committed to play or have stated their interest in playing for their countries.
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Watch the World Baseball Classic on Sportsnet
The World Baseball Classic is back for its sixth edition, running from March 5-17 in Miami, Houston, San Juan and Tokyo. Catch all the action on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
Broadcast schedule
Clement will try to carry his success into the WBC with the U.S., where he joins an infield group that has already received commitments from stars Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson, Bryce Harper and Brice Turang.
It is shaping up to be one of the strongest teams the USA has assembled for the WBC. Along with the stacked infield, all-star talent such as Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal, among others, have committed to suit up at this year’s tournament.
The Americans are set to host Pool B action at Daikin Park in Houston. They are joined by Brazil, Great Britain, Italy and Mexico, with the two top teams from round-robin play advancing to the quarterfinals.
Pool B begins play on March 6 and can be seen on Sportsnet or Sportsnet+.
