There may be no player who better represents the 2025 Toronto Blue Jays than Ernie Clement. He had a career 0.1 bWAR before the 2024 season, when he had a solid season for a brutal Toronto team. But when the Blue Jays got hot this season, Ernie Clement was at the center of it, riding that high all the way to Game 7 of the World Series. He was feet away from being a Fall Classic hero in the bottom of the ninth, but the night ended with him crying in his locker.

“I've been crying for like, probably an hour. I thought I was done with the tears, but I just love these guys so much. It was so much fun coming to work every day and battling with these guys. We have so much to be proud of, even though it didn't go our way. All I care about is just hanging with these guys for a couple hours.”

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Clement came up to bat with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Blue Jays were 90 feet from winning the World Series with their hottest hitter at the plate. Clement skied one to deep left field, which centerfielder Andy Pages improbably ran down for the catch.

Clement and all Blue Jays fans will likely think of that catch for the rest of their lives. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s flyout in the ninth, Alejandro Kirk's double play to end it, and the Will Smith homer will all live on in infamy. But Clement had all the makings of a David Freese-like World Series hero. He fell a few feet short.

The Blue Jays had plenty of opportunities to win Saturday's Game 7. Clement's was the closest, but after a postseason with a .977 OPS, no Toronto baseball fan is blaming the third baseman for the loss.