Mariners' Cole Young has real bragging rights over All-Star rival Ernie Clement

The voting process for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game has not been kind to the Seattle Mariners, and that isn't so much a complaint as an acknowledgment that they deserve the indifference. However, that doesn't mean the Pacific Northwest can't be salty about Ernie Clement over Cole Young.

Clement is leading not just American League second basemen, but all AL players in voting. They clearly love him up in Canada, where he's been an unsung Robin to various Batmen on the Toronto Blue Jays for a couple years now. He also set an all-time postseason record for hits last year, so perhaps his notoriety was destined to explode.

Still… Ernie Clement? As the AL's starting second baseman for the All-Star Game? It reads like a Bizarro World construct in the abstract, and more so in reality while Cole Young is right there, people.

After all, when was the last time Clement did something like this:

Just kidding. This is ultimately useless (if interesting and charming) information about Young's go-ahead homer over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday. But setting aside for a moment that All-Star voting is a popularity contest and nothing more, Young also has better, more pressing bragging rights over Clement.

3 reasons for All-Star voters to reconsider their stance on the AL's second baseman

First things first: Young leads not just Clement, but all American League second basemen with 2.3 rWAR. The gap over Clement is especially large at a difference of 1.1 rWAR, and there's an even bigger Win Probability Added disparity between the two. Young is at 1.1, with Clement at -0.1.

Cole Young Is a Tougher Out

As in, Young has a .319 OBP to Clement's .314 OBP. It's remarkable given that Young has almost twice as many strikeouts as Clement, but that speaks to the power of walks and hit-by-pitches. Young has 22 of the former and has worn seven of the latter, compared to 10 and zero for Clement.

Clement's .293 average and .439 slugging percentage do capture how much better he is at A) putting the ball in play and B) stretching singles into doubles. Yet he and Young both have exactly seven home runs, and only Young has to contend with a pitcher-friendly home park. On the road, he actually has a slightly higher slugging percentage than Clement.

He's Also a *Significantly* Better Defender

Alas, it's true. Young was not a stable defensive presence as a rookie in 2025. He has since flipped the script in the field this year, notably posting +11 Defensive Runs Saved to co-lead all players at the position. Albeit less impressively, he also has +2 Outs Above Average.

These are comfortable leads over Clement, who is at -2 and -4 for DRS and OAA, respectively. And while the counter-argument might point to the fact that he's a utility man, that isn't as true this year as it has been in the past. Of his 650.2 innings in the field, 513.0 have been at second base.

He's One of the Best Clutch Hitters in MLB

There are 129 hitters who have taken at least 50 plate appearances in high-leverage situations. Clement is one of them, and he's greeted those spots with a respectable .803 OPS and 13 of his 28 runs batted in.

But Young? He's just plain been better. His 1.004 OPS in high-leverage spots puts him in the No. 13 spot among those 129 hitters, and he's gotten 22 of his 37 RBI in those moments — for anyone who still holds the RBI in high regard, those also lead all AL second basemen.

For the record, none of this is written under any illusion that Young is going to come back to win the AL's starting second base gig. That would require rising out of the No. 8 spot after several weeks of voting, which would be beyond miraculous.

Still, there's no harm in a "For Your Consideration" campaign for Young. He's earned one, even if this is a mission of the quixotic variety.

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