By: Brandon Apter, contributor 
One of the most under-the-radar prospects for the Phillies this season has been right-hander Ben Lively. Acquired from the Reds for Marlon Byrd in December of 2014, Lively was somewhat of a disappointment last season for Reading. In 2016, he's been nothing short of fantastic. Today, the 24-year-old right-hander was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season.
#AgainBen@BenLively19 picks up @EasternLeague Pitcher of the Week honors for the 2nd time. https://t.co/mQaNTfxnnR pic.twitter.com/Naqnm4PsFi
— Reading Fightins (@ReadingFightins) May 16, 2016
Through eight starts this season, Lively is 6-0 with a league-best 1.53 ERA, holding opposing hitters to to an average of .185. He also leads the Double-A Eastern League with 46 strikeouts and his six wins are good for second in the EL. This past week, Lively went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA, striking out 14 hitters in 13 innings between two starts. On Sunday against Trenton, he tossed seven shutout innings, striking out 12 batters.
With Lively pitching this well, the Phillies have to be considering a promotion to Triple-A in the near future. The Ironpigs rotation includes top prospects Jake Thompson, Mark Appel, Zach Eflin in addition to right-handers Alec Asher and David Buchanan. If the Phils plan to give Lively an opportunity at a higher level, Buchanan would be the most likely to be affected. He's currently sporting a 4.42 ERA in six starts and with the amount of starting pitching depth the Phillies have in their system, a Lively promotion could bump a guy like Buchanan to the bullpen.
