Philadelphia Phillies: Making a case for Ben Lively
Ben Lively published a promising rookie campaign. Can he become the top of the rotation starter that Gabe Kapler and the Phillies desperately need?
The 2018 Philadelphia Phillies have a problem. Despite having multiple options to fill their rotation, Gabe Kapler has only one top of the rotation guy along with five back-end starters.
The Phillies will be able to produce a respectable starting staff, but they desperately need somebody, not named Aaron Nola, to improve and pitch like a No. 2 or No. 3 starter.
My best answer as to who that could be? 26-year-old right-hander, Ben Lively, immediately comes to mind.
Yes, the same Lively who went 4-7 with a 4.26 ERA in 15 games during his rookie year with Philadelphia. However, Lively showed flashes that proved he has the ability to grind out numerous quality starts.
Lively is the type of player Philadelphia can get behind. While not showcasing prolific strikeout numbers (only 5.3 K/9), the 6-foot-2 hurler battles.
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Take for example just his second major league start against the Atlanta Braves on June 8. Lively allowed nine hits over seven innings, but surrendered just three runs. He consistently pitched out of trouble by striking out a mere three opponents while throwing strikes and letting his defense make plays.
Lively posted similar performances in his next two starts, in which he threw over 100 pitches twice. He held the Boston Red Sox to just three runs over seven innings on a game where he threw 108 pitches while allowing eight hits.
Perhaps his worst game was against the explosive Chicago Cubs. The Cubs’ offense shelled Lively for six earned runs and four home runs. Lively lasted just five innings in a brutal 17-2 beating for his club.
What did Lively do next? Instead of letting his confidence be shaken, he competed in a tight game against the Miami Marlins. The rookie earned the win by pitching six innings while allowing seven hits along with two runs, which resulted in 3-2 victory for his club.
Lively is a competitor and has the mentality needed for a front end of the rotation pitcher, but his strike-out numbers must go up. He needs more outings like his Sept. 10 start against the talented Washington Nationals. Lively struck out seven batters that game and held the Nats to three runs in eight innings.
The answer to Lively’s strikeout issues? He must get ahead of hitters. He has the stuff to put guys away. The problem comes when he must throw a strike to avoid a walk and becomes predictable.
If he can get into a pitcher’s count consistently, Lively can be tough to beat.
It’s reasonable to expect Lively outdo his first year. He showed no problems with throwing plenty of pitches, something he will need to do again. His knee is fully healthy and the Phillies upgraded offense should take some pressure of the starter.
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Even if Lively struggles at times, Kapler should have no problem trusting him to bounce back and overall put together a successful year.
Lively manufactured 10 quality starts throughout last year’s campaign. If this trend continues, and his strikeout rate improves, the Philadelphia will have themselves a quality starter to pair at the top with Nola to give them a better chance of competing in the National League.