My latest at Baseball Prospectus (free!) focuses on the efforts of former Padres GM Kevin Towers on behalf of his new team. The Arizona Diamondbacks, much as his old team did in 2010, are surprising everyone this season with their strong play.

Although much of the groundwork was laid by his predecessors, Towers has added his own unique touch, revamping a troubled bullpen and patching holes with discarded remnants of imagined futures. One success story is former Padres farmhand Wily Mo Pena, who has provided a recent boost to the Snakes’ bench despite a less-than-subtle approach at the plate.

For Padres fans, the article provides a fun look back on Towers’ work in San Diego. It is good to remember the man who — among many other things — turned Brian Sikorski, Jon Adkins, and Ben Johnson into Mike Adams and Heath Bell.

The Padres reached the postseason just once in 27 seasons before Towers arrived. They did the same four times in 14 years under his watch, and for this, we owe him a great deal.

Tagged as: arizona diamondbacks, baseball prospectus, ben johnson, brian sikorski, heath bell, jon adkins, kevin towers, mike-adams, wily mo pena