ORLANDO – Three former UCF baseball players will open the 2024 Major League Baseball season on big league rosters, as RHP Ben Lively is on the Cleveland Guardians, infielder/outfielder Dylan Moore is on the Seattle Mariners, and RHP Thad Ward in on the Washington Nationals 40-man roster.
This will mark Lively’s fifth season in the big leagues, as he’s previously played with the Cincinnati Reds (2023), Kansas City Royals (2019), and Philadelphia Phillies (2017-18). Last season with the Reds, Lively tied his career-high in wins with four and struck out 79 over 88.2 innings. He made 12 starts and 19 total appearances while tallying a 5.38 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. He is currently listed as a reliever for the Guardians but will most likely also see time in their starting rotation.
Lively was drafted in the fourth round by the Cincinnati Reds in 2013.
Moore is the MLB veteran of the group, as he’s entering his sixth season in the majors with the Mariners. He’s played in 448 career games and holds a career .705 OPS. In 67 games with Seattle last year, the utility player tallied nine doubles, seven homers, one triple, 19 RBIs, 18 runs scored and seven stolen bases. He also posted a .731 OPS and with 16 walks. Moore hit a career-best .255 as well as a .854 OPS during the 2020 campaign.
Moore was a seventh-round pick of the Texas Rangers in 2015.
Ward will begin the 2024 season on the Nationals’ 40-man roster. In his first season of big-league action in 2023, the right-handed pitcher appeared in 26 games for Washington, all in relief. He did not factor in a decision but struck out 30 baters in 35.1 innings of work. He also limited opponents to just a .225 batting average off of him. He recorded a 1.61 WHIP and a 6.37 ERA.
Ward was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the fifth round in 2018.
Nine other former Knights are currently on Minor League rosters. To end the 2023 season Colton Godon (Sugar Land Space Cowboys-Astros) and Jack Sinclair (Rochester Red Wings-Nationals) were both in Triple-A, Josh Crouch (West Michigan Whitecaps-Tigers), Alex Freeland (Great Lakes Loons-Dodgers) and Jeff Hakanson (Bowling Green Hot Rods-Rays) were in High-A, Hunter Patteson (Columbia Fireflies-Royals), Connor Staine (Fresno Grizzlies-Rockies) and Zack Austin (Augusta GreenJackets-Braves) were in Single-A, and Ben McCabe (ACL Rockies) was in Rookie League. MiLB designations for the 2024 season are expected to be announced soon.