Shushkewich: Barbieri preparing for first full pro season in Nats' organization

Mississauga North Tigers and FieldHouse Pirates alum Francesco Barbieri (Brampton, Ont.) is preparing for his first full season in the Washingtion Nationals organization. Photo: Ave Maria Athletics

February 16, 2025

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

Last year, hundreds of Canadians suited up south of the border (or with the UBC Thunderbirds) to play in the NAIA.

Outfielder Francesco Barbieri (Brampton, Ont.) was one of them, and the former FieldHouse Pirate and Mississauga North Tiger had such an impressive year, that he finished off the summer with some hardware and a new job heading into the fall.

Suiting up for the Ave Maria Gyrenes in the Sun Conference, Barbieri not only earned first-team All-SUN honours and the SUN Player of the Year Award, but he was also the only NAIA player to be named to the Canadian Baseball Network’s All-Canadian First Team.

“As a Canadian, I know the Canadian Baseball Network does so much for baseball players coming from Canada,” said Barbieri. “Anybody who is worth their salt in baseball follows that site, so I am just extremely blessed to find out that not only was I honoured to make a team, but the First Team as well.”

Receiving 23 first-place votes in the outfielder category, Barbieri produced a .374 average and a 1.340 OPS with the Gyrenes this past season, amassing 10 doubles, five triples, and 16 home runs in the process. He led the league in average, SLG (.828), OBP (.512), OPS, walks (45), triples, and home runs and set various single-season and program records for Ave Maria as well.

How did Barbieri find out about the CBN First Team nomination?

“I just saw my Twitter blow up,” laughed Barbieri. “I kept getting tagged in posts, my school picked up the news as well. I was getting notifications from coaches, friends, and family – it was such a huge honour for me. I was keeping tabs on the lists for the Third and Second teams as they were getting released and was hoping I had done enough for the First Team. I have such respect for all those who voted for me and the others.”

Francesco Barbieri (Brampton, Ont.) batted .380 with 18 home runs in 48 games for the Ave Maria Gyrenes in 2024. Photo: Ave Marie Athletics

It hadn’t always been smooth sailing for the outfielder in the Sun Conference. He gained an extra year of eligibility when COVID cut his 2020 campaign short with North Iowa Area Community College and since joining the Gyrenes in 2022, he has had some unfortunate luck on the diamond.

“In 2022, I got stepped on when I slid at home plate and that cut my season short. The year after that, I broke my hamate and missed a good chunk of time as well. This past year was my first full season and it was great to stay healthy and on the diamond.”

Barbieri also spoke about earning the Sun Conference Player of the Year honour.

“I was given the award at the start of the Conference tournament and that was another great feeling, being recognized for your accomplishments amongst your peers,” said Barbieri. “I just remember stepping up to the plate and hearing over the loudspeaker ‘Stepping up to the plate, the Sun Conference Player of the Year’… and that just sent chills down my spine. Especially playing at Jet Blue Park (Boston Red Sox spring training stadium) and hearing my name with that title, it was a big deal for me and the program.”

Following his time with Ave Maria this past summer, Barbieri went to the Northwoods League and suited up for the St. Cloud Rox, continuing to play while the MLB Draft came into focus.

Barbieri had gained the attention of scouts during the school year and was looking to turn pro, taking the next step after his fifth and final year had come and gone.

“After such a good start to the season and putting up the year that I had, I did get some traction from scouts and some different teams,” said Barbieri. “The Washington Nationals reached out a few times and were one of the organizations that seemed the most interested in the group. I remember there was some uncertainty heading into the draft on if I would get the call and once the early rounds on Day 3 were on the board, I was just glued to my phone. My coach for the Rox didn’t even put me in the game that day, just so I wouldn’t miss a potential call – it was his policy.”

And the call did eventually come - from the Nationals nonetheless in the form of a free-agent contract. Barbieri was the only position player from the NAIA to sign with a team this summer and his new venture got off to a rocky start.

“Remember that big cyber shutdown that affected all the flights last summer? That kept us from heading down to the complex for a few days which was at such a bad time,” said Barbieri. “Eventually when I did get to the Nats complex, myself and the other drafted players went through the physicals and got some game time with a rookie camp of sorts. We did drills, we played other complex teams like the Mets, Cardinals, Marlins, and Astros, and it was basically like a mini Spring Training camp. A few of the higher drafted guys went to affiliated ball but I finished the year with the complex team before winding down for the offseason.”

Once the offseason was in full swing, Barbieri returned to Ontario for a few weeks before heading back to Florida to get in some game action with the Italian National Team.

“My mother was born in Italy and the national squad brought me down and let me get some reps with them through that one weekend in October,” said Barbieri. “It was a really big moment for my family and especially my mom. I was born in Canada and represent Canada whenever I can but to represent Italy and my mom’s side of the family was huge for us as a family too.”

After his time with Italy came to a close, it was back to work for Barbieri, who returned to the West Coast to continue working with Driveline Baseball to get better on the field. Barbieri attended Driveline before the 2024 season and returned this past winter.

“I have to give a ton of credit to Driveline and the things they have done for me on the field,” said Barbieri. “I have been out there since late October, just working on my swing and trying to get ready for a full big league season with Washington. I think it is one of the best player development programs a player can ask for and there’s a reason other pro players spend time with Driveline. I made big strides in a short amount of time and I have found a lot of Canadian coaches and former players are learning from these programs and taking that knowledge back to Canada and passing along what they learned to the next generation. I think it is one of the reasons we are seeing such talented players heading south over the years.”

With Spring Training coming into focus, Barbieri is headed back to Florida as he looks to take the next step in his baseball career. The Brampton product is the first Canuck to be drafted/sign with the Nationals from the draft since Nate Ochoa (Burlington, Ont.) in 2022.