CLEVELAND, Ohio — Indians minor-league prospect Ernie Clement is getting a chance this spring to show why manager Terry Francona and some in the Cleveland Indians organization think highly of his potential to fit with the big league club in the near future.
Clement, ranked the No. 26 Indians prospect at the end of the 2019 season by MLB Pipeline, appeared in 18 games at second base and shortstop for the Mesa Solar Sox in October during the Arizona Fall League. In 66 at-bats, he hit .303 with a .729 OPS, including five RBI and five runs scored. He welcomed the competition and the opportunity to get to know some of the top prospects in baseball, including teammates Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh from the Angels and Zack Short of the Cubs.
“It was a relaxed vibe and I got to meet a whole new bunch of players who are pretty much the best in their organizations,” Cement said.
The Rochester, N.Y., native started his first game for Mesa at shortstop but played mostly second base. When Indians top prospect Nolan Jones suffered a thumb injury, Clement slid over and played a few games at third.
“That’s kind of been the theme for my whole career, playing different positions,” Clement said. “Who knows, the more positions you can play, the more you’ll find yourself in the lineup. That’s been really fun. And the new little tool playing third base. I like that a lot.”
With free agent Jason Kipnis moving on to Chicago after nearly a decade at second base for the Indians, Clement recognizes that there could be opportunities in the near future for him in Cleveland if he continues to make progress. But he’s not getting too far ahead of himself.
Clement hit .261 with a .636 OPS in 98 games for Akron last year and is a career .279 minor-league hitter. “I have to be where my feet are and continue to work on my game and continue to improve,” he said. “This was a big offseason. I’m going to work hard and let that whole thing take care of itself.”
Indians field coordinator John McDonald says Clement is a versatile player who is still working on all aspects of his game, trying to improve his offense and baserunning as well as fine-tuning his defensive skills.
“His ability to put the bat on the ball is really high and his instincts as an infielder are very strong,” McDonald said. “He’s a high-energy player and enjoys being on the field and thinking about the game as it’s about to happen.”
McDonald, who enjoyed a 16-year big league career mostly with the Indians and Blue Jays, had a reputation as a slick fielder who could play anywhere on the infield. The comparisons between the two are obvious, with some throughout the organization referring to Clement as a “Johnny Mac clone.” Clement says he’s honored by the comparison to a coach and mentor he’s looked up to ever since joining the Indians organization.
“He knows the game so well,” Clement said. “That’s a huge compliment. He’s a great guy and it’s been really cool to work with him. When you hear that, that’s nice.”
McDonald says watching Clement play the game, his constant energy stands out, and that’s something the Indians try to instill in their fielders.
“Hey, move around, be active, have a smile on your face, but be locked in and know what’s going on,” McDonald said. “Ernie works to have that type of mindset. He doesn’t want to be in the wrong place and he works to make sure he isn’t.”
Cleveland Indians Ernie Clement gets a hit off of Brad Hand during spring training in Goodyear, Arizona. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Clement grew up a Yankees fan watching Terry Francona manage the Red Sox to two World Series wins and said the experience of his first big-league spring training last year under Francona’s watchful eye showed him what he needed to do to elevate his game.
“I was really lucky to get the playing time and watch all those major leaguers go to work every single day,” he said. “It was a great experience. Getting to play under a guy like Terry Francona is just such an honor.”
But Clement carries some impressive credentials of his own. Prior to the Indians drafting him in the fourth round out of Virginia in 2017, Clement led the Cavaliers to the College World Series title and was the 2016 MVP of the Cape Cod League playing for Harwich.
Winning ways followed Clement to the pros as he played on Mahoning Valley’s short-season title team in 2017 and followed that with an Eastern League finals appearance for Akron in 2018. But 2019 was different as the Rubberducks struggled early and were eliminated from playoff contention early in the season’s second half.
“You still play to win every single day, that does not change,” Clement said. “But it’s a little different when you’re not fighting for a championship.”
But late in the season Clement was promoted to Triple-A Columbus, where the Clippers were battling for an International League title. Clement appeared in just three games, but collected six hits in 11 at-bats and drove in four runs.
“It was kind of familiar territory and we were winning games and fortunate enough to win an IL championship, which was fun,” he said. “We made it to the Triple-A National Championship, which was also a great experience. It brought me back to my college days when we were playing for a national championship. We got to go out there and compete. It didn’t come out the way we wanted, but we had a lot of fun doing it. It was a great run.”
Cleveland.com Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes contributed to this report from Goodyear, Ariz.
Cleveland Indians Ernie Clement runs through a fielding drill during the second full squad day of spring training in Goodyear, Arizona. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
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