Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Jonathan Villar is leading the majors in stolen bases. Credit: Benny Sieu

The Journal Sentinel's Todd Rosiak caught up with Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Jonathan Villar to discuss the addition of Spanish-language translators in major-league clubhouses, why a stolen base is better than a home run and the art of switch-hitting. Villar, 25, is hitting .292 with five home runs and 25 runs batted in while leading the major leagues in stolen bases with 23. He was acquired from the Houston Astros on Nov. 19, 2015, in exchange for minor-league pitcher Cy Sneed. Villar is playing for the Brewers on a one-year deal that's paying him $512,900.

As a native of La Vega, Dominican Republic, English is your second language. The Brewers, like all major-league teams, now have a Spanish-language translator, Carlos Brizuela. While you conduct most of your interviews in English, how much does it help Hispanic players to have a translator present? It's a good thing. It's good because (Brizuela) is helping me every day. He's a good guy and he's working for everybody (who doesn't speak English as a primary language).

When you first turned professional at age 17 in 2008 with the Philadelphia Phillies, how much English did you speak? Woo. (laughs) Nothing. For real, nothing. We had English class when I was with the Phillies. Maybe 7-10 players. When I came to Houston (in a trade) we didn't have class every day, but sometimes the teacher would test me and that would teach me a lot of English. The teacher would tell me you need to practice with the guys so you can have better English.

How many years did it take before you felt comfortable speaking English regularly and doing interviews in English? Maybe four years. Year after year it was coming.

Do you think it's important for young Hispanic players to learn to speak English? That's better because we come here, we can talk English to somebody. Sometimes we live by ourselves, so we need to practice every day. Now I feel better because I speak it every day.

You're back to being an everyday shortstop again with the Brewers after losing that opportunity when the Astros called up Carlos Correa last season. How good does it feel to know you'll be in the lineup every day when you get to the ballpark? For me it's good because in 2013 and '14 I played every day. Last year I didn't play every day. This year I'm happy because I do. I come here ready every day. I'm ready for everything.

Your uniform is always dirty after a game.Thank you. Thank you (laughs).

That's a badge of honor for you, right? Yeah. That's my job. It's an opportunity. If I'm a little bit tired, don't worry — I'm going to play like that because that's my job. That's my life. Playing baseball is my life.

You slide headfirst, and considering you're leading the majors in stolen bases it's no wonder you're always dirty. Is it a goal of yours to lead the majors for the whole season? I never think of that. I just get ready every day and play like that every year, be aggressive.

We were talking to you in Philadelphia last weekend about becoming a home-run hitter after you homered in three straight games. What's more fun: stealing a base or hitting a homer? A stolen base (laughs). I'm not a power hitter. We need to get on base every day, steal second and if somebody gets a base hit, you've got to score. That's my game. Hitting a home run? Better for someone else. My game is stolen bases.

You're the only switch-hitter on the Brewers. That's a great skill to have in baseball. How old were you when you first learned how to do it? I think 16. Before I signed, maybe a month, I started hitting lefty. Jose Cano, who's my agent, talked to me. "You can hit from the left side. Why not?" So we were working every day, every night. Maybe 30-45 minutes every day, hitting, hitting. I got signed by the Phillies and then I was working on it more every day.

How long did it take before it felt like it came naturally to you? Maybe 5, 6 years. Around 2013.

Do you feel like you're equally effective from both sides of the plate now? Most of the time. But sometimes that's not good because you come in one day ready for one side — you get two base hits from one side — then they change pitchers. It can be a lot of trouble. You have to be mentally ready. But we work on it every day. Right side I hit normal; left side I choke up a little bit. In batting practice I hit a lot as a lefty. Right side, I might take one round of seven (swings) because I feel comfortable.

The All-Star Game is a little over a month away, and you're in the discussion for how well you've been playing. Is that flattering? I don't think of that. I don't think of that because I need to keep working every day, come in ready. If I go there, I'll be happy. But I'm not thinking of that for now because my focus is right here, on the team. I'm happy when the team is winning. If somebody tells me, "You're going to the All-Star Game," that's fine, I'll be happy. But for now, I'm not focused on that. I'm focused on my job and on working every day. Maybe in one month (it will happen). I'm ready for anything.

How do you like the makeup of the team?

I like it. I feel better here. The American guys are different here than in Houston. Here, the American guys and the Latin guys are the same. Everybody talks every day. In Houston it was different because the Latin guys were on one side talking, the American guys on the other side talking. Now we talk to everybody. I'm real happy for that. We have comfort as a team.