Ernie Clement, a rising star with the Toronto Blue Jays, has been selected for the Team USA roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic in March.
Clement is a surprising inclusion on the star-studded roster, which already has commitments from 20-plus American players, including Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal, and Cal Raleigh, to name a few. However, Clement’s ability to play multiple positions around the infield while maintaining a high contact rate at the plate is certainly enticing for the USA squad.
Team USA to win WBC
Clement, who hails from Brighton, N.Y., had an outstanding MLB playoff run for the Blue Jays last October, slashing .411/.416/.562 with nine RBIs and 30 hits. He also posted career bests in 2025 in games played (157), runs (83), hits (151), and doubles (35) while amassing 4.3 wins above replacement.
Clement’s Blue Jays teammate, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., has also committed to playing in the event for the Dominican Republic.
USA is heavily favoured to win the event, which runs from March 5-17 across multiple host cities in Miami, Houston, San Juan, and Tokyo. Most online sportsbooks have Team USA listed with somewhere around even money to +120 odds to win the event. The Dominican Republic (around +375 odds) and Japan (also around +375 odds) also have short outright odds.
World Baseball Classic outright odds (top 10)
| Team | WBC Odds |
| USA | +105 |
| Dominican Republic | +375 |
| Japan | +375 |
| Puerto Rico | +1200 |
| Venezuela | +1400 |
| Mexico | +2200 |
| Canada | +4000 |
| South Korea | +4000 |
| Cuba | +5000 |
| Netherlands | +5000 |
Previous World Baseball Classic Winners
- 2023 – Japan
- 2017 – USA
- 2013 – Dominican Republic
- 2009 – Japan
- 2006 – Japan