SAN DIEGO — The resurgence of the Padres shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Jed Hoyer and company took the best of what Kevin Towers left behind in the switch of general managers and made it better.

Hoyer added Jon Garland, Yorvit Torrealba and Jerry Hairston Jr. as free agents. He sat down with manager Bud Black and instituted a running game. And then he didn’t tamper with what Towers put together. While most “experts” were picking the Padres to go nowhere again, an astute view of their 2010 edition during Spring Training offered a much different perspective.

Here they are in first place in the National League West post Memorial Day, which is beyond anyone’s expectation, although I certainly thought the Padres would be competitive.

With Towers still in the last year of his Padres contract (value, $1.3 million) and working as a scout for the Yankees, there’s still time to congratulate him for a job well done, perhaps the best job he ever did in his 14-years as Pads GM in putting together this year’s team.

Adrian Gonzalez? Adam Eaton trade. David Eckstein? Free-agent signing. Everth Cabrera? Rule V Draft selection. Chase Headley, Kyle Blanks, Will Venable, Mat Latos, Wade LeBlanc?  All came up through the Minor League system. Tony Gwynn Jr.? Jody Gerut trade. Kevin Correia?  Free-agent signing. Clayton Richard? Jake Peavy trade. Luke Gregerson, Mike Adams, Heath Bell, Edward Mujica? All acquired in trades by Towers.

Well, you get the picture.  It’s been a heck of a composite effort.