Ernesto Liberatore

Ernesto Paolo Liberatore

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 210 lb.

• Born March 26, 1996 in El Llano (in Mérida, Mérida perhaps?) Venezuela

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Biographical Information

Ernesto Liberatore played in the Dominican Republic, USA and Italy and for the Italian national team.

Liberatore was signed by Cincinnati Reds scout Jose Fuentes. He hit .225/.322/.413 for the 2014 DSL Rojos, throwing out 24% of would-be base-stealers. In 2015, he batted .233/.287/.313 for the DSL Reds with 15 passed balls in 38 games; he threw out 51%. He split 2016 between the AZL Reds (4 for 47, 4 2B, 2 BB, 16 K), Dayton Dragons (1 for 9) and Daytona Tortugas (1 for 3). In 2017, he hit .238/.342/.317 for the AZL Reds and gunned down 40%.

He missed most of 2018 due to a left wrist injury, going 2 for 6 with a homer for the Greeneville Reds. The 2020 minor league season was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic. He then went over to Italy with Fortitudo Bologna. In the 2021 European Champions Cup, he had a four-RBI gamer against the Rouen Huskies. He hit .313/.389/.938 with five runs and eight RBI in five games, handling 35 chances error-free. He went deep three times - off Mike Bolsenbroek, Quentin Moulin and Misja Harcksen. He tied for fifth in the Cup in home runs and tied Gilmer Lampe and Shawn Larry for 7th in RBI. In the 2021 Serie A1 season, he hit .364/.458/.648 with 26 RBI. He was second with 14 doubles, one behind Noel González. In four games in the 2021 Italian Series, he was at .368/.368/.579 with five RBI. He led the Series in RBI but Bologna lost out to ASD San Marino.

Liberatore split catching and DH with Alberto Mineo for Italy in the 2021 European Championship. In the opener, he hit 6th and caught, grounding out against Greece's Nick Pantos. His first hit came against Belgium, a double off Brendan Verspreet. He did not play in the Bronze Medal Game, which Italy won. He finished the Euros at .176/.250/.294 with three runs and two RBI in five games, handling 31 chances error-free and allowing two steals in two tries.