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OT: The Toronto Blue Jays

Frankly the only starters who should be locked into starting gigs are Vlad and Kirk. Everywhere else there is room to improve. I’m some cases say Okamoto and Bateman it would be a challenge to find someone better without paying through the nose, and in others like Santander and Gimenez financial obligations make it difficult but 2B and either corner there is a good pathway to an upgrade
 
CH1 said:
Those two knocks directly relate to on base % and slugging % which constitute 100% of what makes a hitter valuable
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So if a hitter doesn't hit a lot of homers and doesn't walk as much as one would like, but gets more hits than almost anyone else in the entire league, he has 100% less value than a HR hitter who also walks but doesn't do much else.
 
LeafOfFaith said:
So if a hitter doesn't hit a lot of homers and doesn't walk as much as one would like, but gets more hits than almost anyone else in the entire league, he has 100% less value than a HR hitter who also walks but doesn't do much else.
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He’s an average hitter. It’s just math. I can’t really explain it any easier than I already have.

You keep saying he gets hits. OK. But he makes a lot of outs and doesn’t have much extra base power.
 
CH1 said:
He’s an average hitter. It’s just math. I can’t really explain it any easier than I already have.

You keep saying he gets hits. OK. But he makes a lot of outs and doesn’t have much extra base power.
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Use AI
 
LeafOfFaith said:
So if a hitter doesn't hit a lot of homers and doesn't walk as much as one would like, but gets more hits than almost anyone else in the entire league, he has 100% less value than a HR hitter who also walks but doesn't do much else.
Click to expand...
So, you just discovered the 3 true outcome hitter, who was all envogue like 10 years ago (and probably still is maybe 🤷‍♂️ ). Congratulations.
 
worm said:
Use AI
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A .284 average sounds good, but Clement’s profile is basically:
  • High batting average
  • Very few walks
  • Low slugging percentage
  • Not much home-run power
  • Some doubles, but not enough to compensate
  • Therefore, lots of plate appearances still end in outs

The key number is his OBP around .308. That’s only about 24 points higher than his batting average, which tells you he isn’t getting on base much beyond the hits.


And his .401 SLG means that most of those hits are singles. So you’re getting something like:


“He gets hits, but when he doesn’t get a hit, he’s usually making an out — and when he does get a hit, it usually doesn’t advance him very far.”


That’s why the ~.710 OPS is a much more honest representation of his offensive contribution than the .284 average.


Clement is having a decent offensive season, not a particularly good one. His defensive versatility is where the overall value proposition becomes much more compelling.
 
CH1 said:
A .284 average sounds good, but Clement’s profile is basically:
  • High batting average
  • Very few walks
  • Low slugging percentage
  • Not much home-run power
  • Some doubles, but not enough to compensate
  • Therefore, lots of plate appearances still end in outs

The key number is his OBP around .308. That’s only about 24 points higher than his batting average, which tells you he isn’t getting on base much beyond the hits.


And his .401 SLG means that most of those hits are singles. So you’re getting something like:


“He gets hits, but when he doesn’t get a hit, he’s usually making an out — and when he does get a hit, it usually doesn’t advance him very far.”


That’s why the ~.710 OPS is a much more honest representation of his offensive contribution than the .284 average.


Clement is having a decent offensive season, not a particularly good one. His defensive versatility is where the overall value proposition becomes much more compelling.
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Well yeah, he's half as good as last year and the year before.

How does he stack against the other second basemen in the league if you keep the convo going with AI?
 
Gemini says:

How Clement stacks up against MLB’s top second basemen across key offensive categories highlights the main differences in their overall output:
  • Hits (H): High tier. Clement consistently ranks near the upper echelon of second basemen in raw hit totals relative to his plate appearances, matching or out-hitting top starters like Nico Hoerner and Marcus Semien.
  • Batting Average (BA): Upper-middle tier. Typically hovering around .275 – .285, Clement comfortably beats the MLB league average (~.245) and ranks in the top 5 to 10 for full-time second basemen, trailing only elite contact hitters like Luis Arraez.
  • Strikeout Rate (SO%): Elite tier. Clement stays among the bottom 5% of all MLB hitters in strikeout rate (under 10%), making far more frequent contact than powerhouse second basemen like Brandon Lowe or Ketel Marte.
  • On-Base Percentage (OBP): Lower tier. Because he rarely draws walks (often a walk rate under 3–4%), his OBP usually sits right around .305 – .315. Top second basemen like Marcus Semien or Jose Altuve regularly post OBPs in the .340 – .360 range by drawing free passes.
  • Power / Home Runs (HR): Lower-middle tier. Clement generally produces 8 to 12 home runs a season. By comparison, power-hitting 2B options like Ketel Marte or Brandon Lowe regularly hit 25+ HRs.
  • On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS): Lower-middle tier. Hovering around .700 – .715, his OPS trails overall league leaders at the position who sit between .780 and .880+ due to their combined walk rates and extra-base power.
While analytics favor power and walks (OBP/OPS), Clement’s rare contact ability, defensive versatility, and knack for putting balls in play make him a valuable everyday performer.
 
Defensively, Ernie Clement sits in an interesting tier: he carries elite positional versatility and demonstrated Gold Glove-caliber potential, but advanced metrics reveal noticeable variance from year to year when he plays second base full-time.
  • Versatility & Utility: Clement’s standout defensive trait is his ability to play almost anywhere on the infield. While traditional second basemen are largely anchored to 2B or SS, Clement moves seamlessly between second base, third base, and shortstop. He was even a finalist for the American League Utility Gold Glove Award due to this multi-positional reliability.
  • Defensive Runs Saved (DRS): At his peak, Clement matches top-tier defensive second basemen. For instance, in 2025, he logged +10 DRS at second base alongside elite third-base defense. However, top primary second basemen like Andrés Giménez or Marcus Semien sustain +10 to +20 DRS at 2B every single year, whereas Clement's totals fluctuate more based on his role.
  • Outs Above Average (OAA): Statcast’s range-based metric showcases his high peak and occasional inconsistency. In 2024 and 2025, Clement ranked in the upper percentiles of the league (+5 to +6 OAA at second base alone). In 2026, increased full-time exposure at the position led to a slight regression in range metrics (-4 to -5 OAA), contrasting with elite second basemen (like Giménez or Nico Hoerner) who consistently sit at +10 OAA or better.
  • Arm Strength & Reliability: Clement is dependable on routine plays, making few thrown errors thanks to his third-base background and arm strength. While he may lack the elite range of pure secondary specialists, his hands and transfer quickness remain sharp.
Clement is slightly below the permanent Gold Glove tier of pure second-base specialists (like Andrés Giménez or Marcus Semien), but his ability to provide above-average to elite defense across multiple infield spots makes him far more valuable to a roster than a standard single-position second baseman.
 
LeafOfFaith said:
Defensively, Ernie Clement sits in an interesting tier: he carries elite positional versatility and demonstrated Gold Glove-caliber potential, but advanced metrics reveal noticeable variance from year to year when he plays second base full-time.
  • Versatility & Utility: Clement’s standout defensive trait is his ability to play almost anywhere on the infield. While traditional second basemen are largely anchored to 2B or SS, Clement moves seamlessly between second base, third base, and shortstop. He was even a finalist for the American League Utility Gold Glove Award due to this multi-positional reliability.
  • Defensive Runs Saved (DRS): At his peak, Clement matches top-tier defensive second basemen. For instance, in 2025, he logged +10 DRS at second base alongside elite third-base defense. However, top primary second basemen like Andrés Giménez or Marcus Semien sustain +10 to +20 DRS at 2B every single year, whereas Clement's totals fluctuate more based on his role.
  • Outs Above Average (OAA): Statcast’s range-based metric showcases his high peak and occasional inconsistency. In 2024 and 2025, Clement ranked in the upper percentiles of the league (+5 to +6 OAA at second base alone). In 2026, increased full-time exposure at the position led to a slight regression in range metrics (-4 to -5 OAA), contrasting with elite second basemen (like Giménez or Nico Hoerner) who consistently sit at +10 OAA or better.
  • Arm Strength & Reliability: Clement is dependable on routine plays, making few thrown errors thanks to his third-base background and arm strength. While he may lack the elite range of pure secondary specialists, his hands and transfer quickness remain sharp.
Clement is slightly below the permanent Gold Glove tier of pure second-base specialists (like Andrés Giménez or Marcus Semien), but his ability to provide above-average to elite defense across multiple infield spots makes him far more valuable to a roster than a standard single-position second baseman.
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Gotta adjust Claude for 2026
 
LeafOfFaith said:
Defensively, Ernie Clement sits in an interesting tier: he carries elite positional versatility and demonstrated Gold Glove-caliber potential, but advanced metrics reveal noticeable variance from year to year when he plays second base full-time.
  • Versatility & Utility: Clement’s standout defensive trait is his ability to play almost anywhere on the infield. While traditional second basemen are largely anchored to 2B or SS, Clement moves seamlessly between second base, third base, and shortstop. He was even a finalist for the American League Utility Gold Glove Award due to this multi-positional reliability.
  • Defensive Runs Saved (DRS): At his peak, Clement matches top-tier defensive second basemen. For instance, in 2025, he logged +10 DRS at second base alongside elite third-base defense. However, top primary second basemen like Andrés Giménez or Marcus Semien sustain +10 to +20 DRS at 2B every single year, whereas Clement's totals fluctuate more based on his role.
  • Outs Above Average (OAA): Statcast’s range-based metric showcases his high peak and occasional inconsistency. In 2024 and 2025, Clement ranked in the upper percentiles of the league (+5 to +6 OAA at second base alone). In 2026, increased full-time exposure at the position led to a slight regression in range metrics (-4 to -5 OAA), contrasting with elite second basemen (like Giménez or Nico Hoerner) who consistently sit at +10 OAA or better.
  • Arm Strength & Reliability: Clement is dependable on routine plays, making few thrown errors thanks to his third-base background and arm strength. While he may lack the elite range of pure secondary specialists, his hands and transfer quickness remain sharp.
Clement is slightly below the permanent Gold Glove tier of pure second-base specialists (like Andrés Giménez or Marcus Semien), but his ability to provide above-average to elite defense across multiple infield spots makes him far more valuable to a roster than a standard single-position second baseman.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a high end utility man to me
 
LeafOfFaith said:
Gemini says:

How Clement stacks up against MLB’s top second basemen across key offensive categories highlights the main differences in their overall output:
  • Hits (H): High tier. Clement consistently ranks near the upper echelon of second basemen in raw hit totals relative to his plate appearances, matching or out-hitting top starters like Nico Hoerner and Marcus Semien.
  • Batting Average (BA): Upper-middle tier. Typically hovering around .275 – .285, Clement comfortably beats the MLB league average (~.245) and ranks in the top 5 to 10 for full-time second basemen, trailing only elite contact hitters like Luis Arraez.
  • Strikeout Rate (SO%): Elite tier. Clement stays among the bottom 5% of all MLB hitters in strikeout rate (under 10%), making far more frequent contact than powerhouse second basemen like Brandon Lowe or Ketel Marte.
  • On-Base Percentage (OBP): Lower tier. Because he rarely draws walks (often a walk rate under 3–4%), his OBP usually sits right around .305 – .315. Top second basemen like Marcus Semien or Jose Altuve regularly post OBPs in the .340 – .360 range by drawing free passes.
  • Power / Home Runs (HR): Lower-middle tier. Clement generally produces 8 to 12 home runs a season. By comparison, power-hitting 2B options like Ketel Marte or Brandon Lowe regularly hit 25+ HRs.
  • On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS): Lower-middle tier. Hovering around .700 – .715, his OPS trails overall league leaders at the position who sit between .780 and .880+ due to their combined walk rates and extra-base power.
While analytics favor power and walks (OBP/OPS), Clement’s rare contact ability, defensive versatility, and knack for putting balls in play make him a valuable everyday performer.
Click to expand...

Or, we can just use an excellent stat that takes all of this into account, determines how many runs a player creates with their bat and provides a floating average statistic for us to use so that we can know exactly how good a player is compared to their peers at hitting a baseball.

it's called wRC+. The floating average is 100, and every +1 or -1 above or below 100 represents being 1% above or below 100%. 100 is dead nuts average. 90 is below average, 80 is just bad, 70 is brutal. On the other side 110 is good, 120 is very good, 130+ is various levels of elite

Young Ernest has played 3 complete seasons in MLB

2024: 94
2025: 98
2026: 98

Ernie is a slightly, slightly below average hitter. If you want to know where that ranks among 2B, about 19th (min 1000 pa at 2B over those 3 seasons).
 
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