Blue Jays Talk
Field Access: Nathan Lukes, Ernie Clement, Dylan Cease, Brandon Valenzuela
27 Apr 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: Who is Nathan Lukes and what are his career highlights?
Hey everyone, Joe Alley here with you. Welcome back to another edition of Jays Talk Field Access on the Sportsnet Radio Network. These are our conversations with players and coaches from your Toronto Blue Jays, whether it's myself or Ben Schulman, who are conducting these chats. We'll be bringing these to you twice a month until the end of the season.
If you're a frequent listener to us on the Sportsnet Radio Network, once again, thank you. I don't think there's
Chapter 2: What insights does Ernie Clement share about his journey with the Blue Jays?
A lot of point in doing these if you guys aren't on the other side. But if you do join us on the radio, you'll hear these chats live on the pregame shows pretty frequently. So this is certainly also a place for these chats to live in perpetuity going forward.
I had said this before a couple times ago, but we'll see if we can't twist Chris LaRue's arm to do some chats of his own as the season goes on. Should be fun to get his former teammates to hear from a pitcher's perspective and asking these questions, or certainly some of his pals via Team Canada on the show at some point this year.
Chapter 3: How has Dylan Cease adapted to his new role with the Blue Jays?
So looking forward to that. And I do think, as this is the 50th season for the Jays, Maybe we can scare up some interviews with some players from the team's past as well to add to the feed. So if you do have any suggestions, feel free to reach out to either myself or to Ben via the text line or certainly via social media as well. In any case, let's get to our chats.
Chapter 4: What does Brandon Valenzuela say about his transition to Major League Baseball?
We have four today for you. First, he may be on the IL right now, but I do believe he is someone worth hearing from. Nathan Lucas spoke with Ben a few weeks ago. It was largely a look back at his career to date, which I thought was pretty interesting. After Lucas, you'll hear from utility man Ernie Clement, although these days I think we can largely say Blue Jays' second baseman.
Ben sat down with him in the dugout to discuss that Players' Tribune piece from before the season, his golf game, and what it means to play with Andres Jimenez up the middle. Following that, you'll hear from Dylan Cease, one of the newest Blue Jays, who has also been electric to start his Jays career.
Been chatting with him a few starts ago, and on my end, I spoke with Brandon Valenzuela just after he hit his first Major League home run, and we spoke about the transition to the big leagues as well. So, in order, here's Lucas, Clement, Cease, and Valenzuela on the latest edition of Jays Talk Field Access.
Coverage of Blue Jays baseball continues on the Sportsnet Radio Network. Ben Schulman alongside Blue Jays outfielder Nathan Lucas. Nathan, thanks so much for the time. I appreciate it. So I want to go back to last year briefly.
Chapter 5: What challenges did Nathan Lukes face during his career progression?
I know we're on to a new season at this point, but you had spent the majority of your pro career in the minors, some cameos in 2023. You were with the team for a while that year and then 24 at the end of the year. What was it like for you?
to break through last season into being kind of an everyday guy for the blue jays by mid-year and then a starter for them in the playoffs too i mean it it meant everything but uh just finally being able to get that opportunity and showcase what i knew i could do um just being able to get tha everyday opportunities.
U have to wait so long and at Triple A for multiple
a lot of pressure when you do get up there to be like they've given me the chance now i have to prove it or or was it like hey i put so much down on paper now that i i have a lot of confidence it's going to work out or maybe somewhere in between no that was definitely the trial and error um in 23 it was it was that way it was i was pressing way too much i felt like
I wasn't getting everyday opportunities. I was only getting like one, maybe two at-bats a week. I think over the course of half the year, I had 26 at-bats. But every time I was going off to play, I was trying to hit two homers instead of just taking a base hit. So 23 was definitely, that was the trial and I failed and I've learned from it. I grew from it.
And then being able to 24 spent the last month up with the big leagues and was just able to play more career, more relaxed goes with kind of everything in life of trial and error. And you learn, you learn from your mistakes, you learn from your failures and
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Chapter 6: How does Ernie Clement feel about his unique postseason record?
It's definitely helped me grow. Speaking with Blue Jays outfielder Nathan Lucas, you had a lot of big moments for the Blue Jays in the playoffs too, some big hits. Is there a moment throughout the year or perhaps in the postseason that really sticks out to you when you think of last year that comes to mind for you? As for myself or just team-wise? You could do team or yourself, either way.
Chapter 7: What are Dylan Cease's goals for the upcoming season?
I guess for team, it's just the way we handled our business every single day. we were taking nothing for granted and just the way that we would wear out pitchers. And I've come from behind wins and all of it pretty much just added up. And it's when it came with the post season, I feel nothing, nothing changed. It was, we were the same time as during season as we were in both season.
And it was, I mean, it was fun.
Chapter 8: How has Brandon Valenzuela adjusted to life in the majors?
It was, it was everything I could have dreamed of. And, uh, we're gonna do it again, do it again this year. As for me, really the only, the one about that probably meant the most was the one in New York, the two RBI single. But other than that, I was just getting an opportunity to play every single day and it was awesome.
So you grew up a Red Sox fan, if I'm not mistaken, and it wasn't your first time being at Fenway Park last year, if I'm correct, or maybe it was your first time being at Fenway Park.
First time playing, pretty much.
What was that experience like for you?
I'm trying to remember if it was 23 or 24, but I think it was 23, just being able to go in and sign the monster and walking in there and seeing all the autographs that were on that wall. It was a surreal moment and something I'm going to remember for the rest of my life.
And last year, when you guys were in Sacramento as well, you had the opportunity to get some of your family out there for those games. What was that experience like, too? Because I imagine that playing close to home in the major leagues was something maybe you didn't know was coming because we didn't know there'd be baseball in Sacramento until a couple years ago. It was nuts. It was crazy.
But I felt like when I looked up into the stands, at least 50% of the people I knew sitting down were But being able to have family, past coaches, just friends, just it was awesome being able to play in front of them and let them watch me. It was pretty sweet.
Nate, thank you so much for the time. Awesome. Thank you. Coverage of Blue Jays baseball continues on the Sportsnet Radio Network. I'm Ben Schulman alongside Blue Jays. I think I can say second baseman now rather than infielder, although you still bounce around a bit, Ernie Clement. Ernie, thanks so much for joining us. Thanks for having me.
So a very exciting finish to last year, not going to dwell on it too much, but how does it feel or what does it feel to you to hear that you are the only person on the history of Planet Earth to have that many hits in a single postseason? What was that like and what is it like to think about that?
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