The Cleveland Guardians played a couple of spring training games on Monday: one against the Kansas City Royals and one against the Chicago Cubs.
Cleveland lost at the hands of the Cubs but defeated their division rivals 5-2 thanks to an inspiring performance by Ben Lively.
The veteran righty keeps dominating and cementing his case to make the Guards’ rotation in what is shaping up to be a very intense competition.
“Cleveland #Guardians RHP Ben Lively continued his strong spring today with four more scoreless innings of work against the Royals. Line – 4.0(IP) 3H 0R 0ER 1BB 3SO (55 Pitches 39 Strikes). Lively topped out at 90.9 mph and averaged 89.8 mph on his fastball. Spring numbers: 9.0(IP) 9H 1R 1ER 3BB 7SO 1.00 ERA,” Guardians Prospective posted on X.
Cleveland #Guardians RHP Ben Lively continued his strong spring today with four more scoreless innings of work against the Royals.
Line – 4.0(IP) 3H 0R 0ER 1BB 3SO
(55 Pitches 39 Strikes)
Lively topped out at 90.9 mph and averaged 89.8 mph on his fastball.
Spring numbers:
-…
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) March 10, 2025
It was a positive day for Lively as he took another step toward securing a spot among the Guardians’ five starters to open the year.
He, Logan Allen, and Doug Nikhazy have been the most impressive hurlers among a group that includes Slade Cecconi, Joey Cantillo, Triston McKenzie, Jakob Junis, Vince Velazquez, and others.
At this point, Allen, Lively, and Nikhazy might be vying for two spots, joining Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, and Luis L. Ortiz.
On Monday, Lively reached 55 pitches and was amazing against a lineup that included Royals stars such as Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez, Jonathan India, and other regulars.
His fastball velocity might be below the league average, but he gets outs and gets the job done.
Last year, he was one of the steadiest Guardians’ pitchers with a 3.81 ERA in 151 innings of work.
He has been everything the organization hoped and more.
Cleveland is full of options with more upside, but for the time being, Lively is showing he can still compete and perform.
NEXT: Triston McKenzie's Latest Spring Outing Produces Mixed Results
