Steward Berroa likes to have fun.

The 26-year-old outfielder has the type of personality that helps him enjoy being on a baseball field, and finding the fun in working hard to get better personally and to help his team win.

“This game is hard enough, why make it even harder? Why not enjoy what you’re doing and find the fun in it. It’s a long season; you have to have some fun,” said Berroa prior to a game at Coca-Cola Park last week.

“You never know when it’s going to be the last time that you put on a uniform, so have fun and take it all in.”

The Phillies recently purchased his contract from the Milwaukee Brewers, and optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The 5-9, 193-pound speedster had been designated for assignment, and the Phillies moved in to get him from the Brew Crew.

It’s hard to look at Berroa and his skills and not wonder if in some way, he is a replacement for Johan Rojas, who is currently serving an 80-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

Berroa has at least the same defensive abilities that Rojas possesses, and a sprint between the two would be fun to watch. One of the maddening parts of Rojas’ game that the Phillies tried to perfect was bunting; Berroa has that down.

Unfortunately for Berroa, his longest stint in the majors came in 2024 when he made his major league debut with Toronto. The Blue Jays put him into the same difficult role that the Phillies put youngsters Otto Kemp and Felix Reyes into as part-time players.

That’s a tough task for a veteran player, and generally sets a young player up for failure. The result for Berroa was 37 at-bats in 28 games and a .189 average. Last season, Milwaukee gave him five at-bats in two games and he went hitless. In his 30 games, though, he has drawn nine walks, which has helped bump his on-base percentage (OBP) to .317, still weak, but showing some promise.

Since coming to Lehigh Valley, Berroa has been playing center field on pretty much of an everyday basis and hitting .340 (17-for-50) in 13 games with an OBP of .393. With Lehigh Valley, Berroa has pushed his slugging percentage to .620, a very respectable level, thanks to three doubles, a triple, and three home runs.

His speed helps to produce doubles and triples, and he has enough power to occasionally turn on a pitch and drive it out of a ballpark. He also has stolen four bases with the IronPigs.

“I like to do whatever I can to help the team. Sometimes, that’s dropping a bunt down to move a guy, it’s using my speed either on the bases or in the outfield, and every now and then I can generate a little power, but I’m not going to hit a lot of home runs; I’m just not that kind of player,” said Berroa with his usual smile.

Ironically, Berroa had somewhat admired the Phillies organization from afar prior to being acquired. He played a number of games at Coca-Cola Park as a member of the Buffalo Bisons, the Triple-A affiliate of the Blue Jays. He remembered the surroundings and the energy that the fans brought, so when he found out he would be a member of the Phillies organization, it was welcome news.

“I often thought that at some point, maybe playing for Philadelphia would be something to look at,” admitted Berroa. “I just thought it would be further down the road.”

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMM … Sometimes minor league baseball carries little things that are like breadcrumbs meant to be followed. That’s why a seemingly innocent lineup change caught some attention, especially when you connect the dots. Kemp was sent down to get consistent playing time and to learn left field. Christian Cairo is first and foremost an infielder. So why was Kemp at third base and Cairo playing left field? Keep in mind a few things: The Phillies love Kemp’s bat. Third baseman Alec Bohm is in the worst slump of his career. Utility man Dylan Moore, who can play both infield and outfield, is also struggling for the Phillies. Just some information to tuck away.

RUNNING OFF THE BULLS … Durham is probably glad to see its 12 scheduled games with Lehigh Valley come to an end. Lehigh Valley won nine of those 12 games, including both ends of Sunday’s doubleheader.

THE RUNNING OF THE BULLS … Two IronPigs players who were happy to see the series end are catchers Caleb Ricketts and Paul McIntosh. Bulls players stole 42 bases in 51 attempts (82-percent success rate) in the 12-game series. Durham is 32-of-40 (80 percent) against the rest of the International League this season. While 42 percent of the Bulls games have been against Lehigh Valley this season, 57 percent of their stolen bases have come against the Pigs.

WHERE DO WE STAND? ... Going into the last week of April, Lehigh Valley (16-11) has a ½ game lead over Worcester in the IL East. In the overall standings, which determine the first half champion, the IronPigs are tied for third with Louisville in the standings. Both teams are one game behind Gwinnett (17-10), and two games behind Memphis (18-9). The Pigs don’t play Memphis or Gwinnett this season, and don’t play Worcester until mid-June. The “Woo-Sox” just lost their manager Chad Tracy to their parent club, Boston, when the Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora and replaced him on an interim basis with Tracy.