Rejoice, fellow Philadelphia Phillies fans, for we have been freed from the shackles of watching Otto Kemp take at-bats at the major-league level. At long last, our calls have been heard.
Unfortunately, in his stead comes perhaps an even more frustrating bench option: Steward Berroa. The Phillies originally acquired him back in April for cash from the Milwaukee Brewers, who simply didn't have the roster space to harbor yet another speed-and-defense-first outfielder.
But before anyone gets too excited that Berroa will provide the glove work and base-path terror that Kemp could not, you should probably know that he's a career .167 hitter with a 60 wRC+ over 51 plate appearances. He was much better in Lehigh Valley this year, but he is not an answer to our right-handed slugger prayers.
The Phillies are expected to call up Steward Berroa today, according to @MattGelb. Otto Kemp will be optioned to AAA.
— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) May 29, 2026
Phillies' Otto Kemp-Steward Berroa swap is a laughably lateral move that solves only marginal problems
Look, it's not Kemp's fault that the Phillies entrusted left field to him this season. His rookie campaign featured enough solid data to believe that'd evolve into something of a useful player at the plate, though his defense was always a huge question mark. That he failed so spectacularly is unfortunate, but it shouldn't have been unexpected for a former undrafted free agent.
Berroa, at least in that second regard, is an upgrade. He's accrued +3 Outs Above Average and +5 Defensive Runs Saved in his limited time in big-league outfields, which isn't hard to buy into thanks to his elite speed and strong arm. If that's all the Phillies ask of him to provide, then things won't be so bad.
But we all know better. Kemp was sent down primarily because he hit .080/.148/.080 (-35 wRC+) during his sparse playing time. He was a genuine factor in the team's unceasing struggles against left-handed pitching. The final straw, a 37% strikeout rate, was just proof that something is broken in his swing.
Maybe he'll figure it out back in Triple-A, but that's not something the team can bank on. Ditto for Berroa, a switch-hitter with a career strikeout rate of 31.4%. He has been better from the right side of the plate, but a 73 wRC+ as a right-handed hitter won't change the fortunes of this top-heavy lineup.
Berroa won't (and shouldn't) see much playing time in Philadelphia, seeing as Brandon Marsh, Justin Crawford, and Adolis Garcia are entrenched in the three outfield spots. Perhaps if he can carry over some of the offensive improvements he made in Triple-A this season -- he posted a .761 OPS with the IronPigs -- he can court favor with Don Mattingly. Even then, though, this is the clearest cry for outfield help the Phillies have let out in some time.
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