Ernie Clement of the Toronto Blue Jays has been voted as an American League starter for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, topping the league with 3,232,932 votes in Phase 1 of fan balloting. The second baseman will represent the Blue Jays at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 14.
Clement's unexpected rise to All-Star status
Clement's journey to the All-Star Game is one of the most surprising and feel-good stories in baseball. A relative unknown before the 2025 postseason, he became a hitting machine during the Blue Jays' playoff run and has carried that momentum into the current season. His humility and versatility have endeared him to fans on both sides of the border, with the Blue Jays being the lone Canadian-based team.
In Phase 1 voting, Clement finished second overall in the majors behind Shohei Ohtani, who led the National League with 3,341,257 votes. The voting process, which some view as archaic, guarantees starting positions to the highest vote-getter in each league as of the noon Thursday deadline.
All-Star Game details and Phase 2 voting
Blue Jays manager John Schneider will manage the American League team, accompanied by select members of his coaching staff. In Phase 2, all results are reset to zero, and voting begins at noon Monday, running for 72 hours until July 2. Winners will be announced on FOX on July 4 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Other Blue Jays players advancing to Phase 2 include Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Andres Gimenez, Kazuma Okamoto, George Springer, Alejandro Kirk, Daulton Varsho, and Jesus Sanchez.
Clement's recent performance and fan reaction
Despite nursing a hip issue, Clement was used as a pinch-hitter and defensive replacement in the series finale against the Houston Astros. In Thursday's series opener against the Texas Rangers, he started at shortstop and batted second. After the Blue Jays retired the Rangers in the top of the first inning, Clement's All-Star selection was featured on the scoreboard, prompting an eruption from the crowd. Cameras showed a smiling Clement waving from the dugout. He later singled in his first at-bat.
According to Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun, Clement's story is among the most surprising and feel-good in all of baseball. The Blue Jays celebrated their 'Top Dawg' on social media, posting a video of the announcement.
