You don’t have to look far as to why the Brewers are in first place in the National League Central, seven games in front of the Reds. Shortstop Willy Adames is having a dream season since he was acquired from the Rays in a trade on May 21. He is 47-for-162 (.290) with nine home runs and 30 RBIs with Milwaukee. He already is seventh on the team in WAR (2.0).

Before the All-Star break, MLB.com caught up with Adames to talk about his surge with the Brewers and his time with the Rays.

MLB.com: You got off to a slow start with the Rays. Now you are having a dream season since you were traded to the Brewers in late May. Why is that the case?

Willy Adames: I feel like I got my confidence back when I went to Milwaukee. … I also had a hard time seeing the ball at The Trop [Tropicana Stadium]. I feel like that is a part of why there is a big change. But if you look back and see the numbers on the road, it was kind of like the [numbers with the Brewers]. ... It’s a big difference.

MLB.com: When you are out of The Trop, what advantages do you have when you are in the batter’s box?

Adames: Whenever I was out of the Trop, I feel like I was able to recognize the spin of the ball. You could see if it was a breaking ball, changeup or whatever. At The Trop, I couldn’t pick it up. It was a hard time. When you are like 0-for-20, you are trying to make an adjustment. So you are like looking for stuff and you change your swing. Now, I realize it wasn’t me. I wasn’t seeing the ball. That’s why I was trying to make a lot of changes and just try to figure out a way to be successful at The Trop.

MLB.com: Was it the lighting at The Trop?

Adames: It was the lighting, I believe. In 2018, I was good when they had the old lights. Then they changed the lights. I don’t know what they did to it; it was a hard time for me to pick up. But there were a couple of guys complaining about that, too. I was not the only one.

MLB.com: You said you got your confidence back in Milwaukee. How did you get it back?

Adames: I got the confidence back by being myself at the plate. The way the Brewers treat me is special. The way they welcomed me here, it was great. So I was happy about that. Everybody felt that way when I came here. They welcomed me with opened arms and had a smile on their face. It was just a great vibe when I got here.

MLB.com: Everybody is talking about you as one of the leaders on this team. How did that come about?

Adames: I don’t know, man. I think it’s just something natural that I have. I never try to be the leader of the team or anything like that. I just try to be a good teammate -- just try to help whomever I can help. I just try to be the same guy everyday if I’m doing good or bad. That’s just who I am. I like to enjoy the game. I like to have fun. I’m happy that I’m passing that to my teammates. I feel that’s the way you should play this game – just having fun.

MLB.com: What is it like playing with the Brewers and their fans?

Adames: Amazing. The other day we had a series against the Cubs. That felt like the playoffs. That was unbelievable. It feels good to play for a lot of fans like that. For me to be there, it was special.

MLB.com: You were born and raised in the Dominican Republic. How did you adjust to the United States so well? You are the go-to guy with the media.

Adames: [Laughing] It was hard in the beginning. I’m still learning the language. I didn’t know any English [when I came to this country]. It was hard for me to learn the language. I had to get used to a different country, different rules, different culture.

So I have to thank my teammates in the Minor Leagues. I have to thank Kean Wong [Brewers teammate Kolten Wong’s brother] and Andrew Velazquez, because I lived with them for like two or three years. They were the guys that helped me out the most with language and the culture -- just to get used to being here. I wanted to learn the language. The only chance I got was living with them. They spoke English. For me to be around them every day was the greatest thing to learn the language. … If I wanted to be able to express myself, I have to learn the language.

MLB.com: What’s ahead for the Brewers? You guys are doing well.

Adames: We have been playing really good baseball and I think we have to continue to do that -- just to continue to have fun, to take advantage of what the other team gives us. If everybody stays healthy and we keep the guys on the field, I think we’ll be fine. We have a pretty good team.

MLB.com: Do you want to stay in Milwaukee for a long time?

Adames: I really like it here. I feel really comfortable. The fans are amazing. The coaching staff and the group of players we have are great guys.

MLB.com: How does your family feel about Milwaukee?

Adames: They haven’t been there yet. They are coming next month, hopefully. I told them this is special. That series against the Cubs, it made me feel I was living the dream. I told Avisaíl García, “I’m living the dream. This is crazy. This is something unbelievable.” The only time I felt like this was in the playoffs [in 2019] with the fans. In 2019, we had the stadium packed at The Trop. It was crazy. That’s how I felt playing against the Cubs.

MLB.com: What did you think of your time in Tampa?

Adames: It was a great time. It was a learning process the first couple of years. I have to thank them for the opportunity they gave me to bring me to the big leagues and play every day. I loved playing there. The fans were really respectful, really great. The organization were amazing.

MLB.com: No bitterness at all?

Adames: No, no, no. I’m really grateful for the opportunity. I’m always going to be thankful.

MLB.com: When you were traded, what was your first reaction?

Adames: I was surprised. I didn’t know anything. I didn’t know anything was going on. It was sad in the beginning. I spent seven years with the organization. I had my boys there. I was coming to a new team, but a couple of guys I knew here kind of like calmed me down. They gave me hope that I was going to be good here. They called me and said take the first flight and forget about everything and just come here. That made me feel good.

MLB.com: Who did you speak to?

Adames: Avisaíl and Narvy [Omar Narváez]. They called me like four times that day. They told me I would be good here. My first-base coach from Tampa [Ozzie Timmons] said this is going to be good for you and your career. It was sad, but I was excited because I knew I was going to get a new opportunity with a new team, new city, new fans. I’m grateful to be part of this team.

MLB.com: You look happy.

Adames: I’m enjoying it. We are playing really good. The first thing that game to my head after I got traded was, I was going to a winning team, a team that is fighting to go to the playoffs. That’s what I love. I love to win. I love to compete. I’m happy to be part of this team.