Ben Lively

Player

Birthday March 5, 1992

Birth Sign Pisces

Birthplace Pensacola, Florida, U.S.

Age 32 years old

Nationality United States

Height 193 cm

Weight 86 kg

#34323 Most Popular

1992

Edward Bennett Lively (born March 5, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball (MLB).

He has previously played in MLB for the Philadelphia Phillies, Kansas City Royals, and Cincinnati Reds and in the KBO League for the Samsung Lions.

Lively was born to Edward and Ginny Lively in Pensacola, Florida.

He began playing organized baseball at age 4 in the Tee-ball league; he was allowed to join a year early because of his prowess and the fact that his grandfather, Jim Lively, who coached him throughout his childhood, was the league commissioner.

He is a graduate of Gulf Breeze High School.

2010

The Cleveland Indians selected Lively in the 26th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft out of high school.

He did not sign and instead attended the University of Central Florida (UCF).

In his three years pitching for the UCF Knights baseball team, he went 21–8 with a 3.06 earned run average (ERA) and 226 strikeouts over 244 innings.

2012

After his sophomore season in 2012, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod Baseball League.

2013

The Cincinnati Reds selected Lively in the fourth round of the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft.

He made his professional debut with the Billings Mustangs and made one start with the Dayton Dragons.

Lively finished his first season, 0–4 but with a 0.88 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 41 innings.

2014

He started the 2014 season with the Bakersfield Blaze.

He was named as the top player in the Reds' farm system in 2014 after posting a 13–7 record and 3.04 ERA with Bakersfield and the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

On December 31, 2014, the Reds traded Lively to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Marlon Byrd.

2015

In 2015, Lively went 8–7 with a 4.13 ERA in 25 games with the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils.

2016

He began the 2016 season with Reading before being promoted to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

He received the 2016 Paul Owens Award as best pitcher in the Phillies' farm system.

The Phillies added him to their 40-man roster after the 2016 season.

2017

He was assigned to Lehigh Valley to begin the 2017 season.

On June 3, 2017, Lively made his major league debut with the Philadelphia Phillies against the San Francisco Giants.

He allowed one run on four hits and three walks, earning his first major league win.

In his June 24 start against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he collected his first major league RBI with a 2-run home run, but gave up 4 earned runs and took the 9–2 loss.

He finished his rookie season with a 4–7 record and 4.26 ERA in 15 major league appearances.

2018

In 2018, Lively pitched in 5 games for Philadelphia, but after struggling to an 0–2 record and 6.85 ERA, he was designated for assignment on September 3, 2018.

On September 5, 2018, Lively was claimed off waivers by the Kansas City Royals, who then designated Eric Stout for assignment to add Lively to the 40-man roster.

Lively recorded a 1.35 ERA in 6.2 innings of work for Kansas City in 2018.

2019

He was assigned to the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers to begin the 2019 season.

Lively himself was designated for assignment on June 20, 2019, following the promotion of Humberto Arteaga.

He allowed 3 runs in the only inning he pitched for Kansas City.

On June 22, 2019, Lively was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for cash considerations.

He was assigned to the Triple-A Reno Aces, where he recorded a 5.04 ERA and 2–1 record across 7 appearances.

On August 7, 2019, Lively left the Diamondbacks organization to sign with the Samsung Lions of the KBO League.

Lively pitched to a 4–4 record and a 3.95 ERA in his first season with Samsung.

2020

Lively re-signed with Samsung for the 2020 season on a $700,000 contract.

In 2020 he pitched to a 6–7 record and 4.26 ERA in 21 appearances.

Lively only made six appearances in 2021, registering a 4.05 ERA.

On June 1, 2021, Lively was released after being diagnosed with a shoulder injury.

On January 6, 2022, Lively signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds.

He spent the entire year with the Triple-A Louisville Bats, making 18 starts and registering a 2–5 record and 4.09 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 77.0 innings pitched.