The Blue Jays know what to do.
When there's a key spot late in a game, Toronto has a secret weapon off its bench. His name is Ernie Clement.
Clement has a surprising case as the best pinch-hitter in MLB history.
Small sample sizes abound here, of course, but Clement is dominant.
Consider his career stats as a pinch-hitter after a pinch-hit double on Saturday:
- .419 batting average (13-31)
- 5 doubles
- 1 HR
- 8 RBI
MORE: Guardians' Daniel Schneeman is grand hero in legendary performance vs. Blue Jays
Some of the greatest hitters in baseball history were capable of strong pinch-hit tenures. Willie McCovey hit 16 homers off the bench, for example, and Harold Baines hit .316 as a pinch-hitter.
But Clement is a different case. The contact-oriented infielder is a career .247 hitter. But off the bench, he's a monster.
There might be something to it, with Clement's baseball-loving, relaxed attitude likely lowering the pressure of any opportunities coming in cold from the dugout.
Regardless, it's just really cool.
Clement was a national champion as a freshman at the University of Virginia after a standout career in upstate New York at Brighton High School.
He's actually as close to his hometown as can be with an MLB team, albeit across the Canadian border.
And now, the 29-year old has a remarkable claim to fame.
MORE: Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong on pace for historic MLB season