The baseball world at large may not have known Ernie Clement's name before October.
And then the Toronto Blue Jays' infielder put together a hitting clinic never before seen in the postseason.
With 30 hits, Clement set a new record for base knocks during a single playoffs. And he and the Blue Jays were within a couple outs of winning the World Series before eventually falling in extra innings in Game 7 to the Dodgers.
Clement, like most of his teammates, will be back to try again.
The versatile infielder was eligible for salary arbitration this offseason, but that process won't be needed.
On Thursday, the Blue Jays and Clement reached agreement on a $4.6 million contract for the 2026 season to avoid arbitration, according to The Athletic's Mitch Bannon.
MORE: Blue Jays sign outfielder for $10.75 million
It's the biggest payday of Clement's baseball career so far, a journey that took him from Brighton, N.Y. To a national championship at the University of Virginia to a couple of failed MLB stops with Cleveland and Oakland before proving he belongs in Toronto.
Clement's role for the season ahead isn't set in stone.
The Blue Jays have already signed free agent Kazuma Okamoto, who can play third base. They're also still in the running for both Bo Bichette and Alex Bregman.
Because Clement can play all over the infield, and even in the outfield, he'll likely still see plenty of action in 2026. But where is less certain, because it'll depend on which other contracts do or don't get done.
But the important part is that he and the Blue Jays are ready to run it back in pursuit of that World Series that so narrowly eluded them.
More MLB news:
- Team USA's projected WBC lineup is incredible
- Dominican Republic's projected WBC lineup is fierce
- Reds have a promising prospect named Ichiro Cano
- It's a good day to remember Bob Feller's brilliance and his time in the U.S. Navy
- How Aroldis Chapman is able to pitch for Great Britain in the WBC
- Hunter Pence's nephew has the best name and a 100 MPH fastball