Top 5 Reasons Why the San Diego Padres are at the Top of Their Game

This year, the San Diego Padres have taken the West by storm and it's no secret that they are at the top of their game.

The Padres have constructed a team that include good, young arms, contact hitters, and a well managed front-office.

Bud Black has been nothing more than stellar when it comes to game day and has showed off the potential of his squad. Combine that with power hitting in Adrian Gonzalez, and young pitching in Mat Latos, and your team will go a long ways.

Good, Young Pitching

To start, Mat Latos has been the real breakthrough in the Padres staff. He currently sits at 13-5 with a 2.33 ERA and 144 K. He looks to be a power pitcher for years to come.

Clayton Richard and Wade LeBlanc don't fall far behind Latos' stats. Richard comes in at 12-5 with a 3.55, while LeBlanc stands at 8-11 with a 3.86.

Kevin Correia and Jon Garland round out the list as the veteran pitchers of the team, carrying them through the season, both putting up winning records while holding relatively low ERAs.

Contact, Power Hitting

To top the list in power, we start with Adrian Gonzalez. Adrian is sitting at two ticks under a .300 batting average, with 26 HRs and 82 RBI.

Since joining the Padres along with Ryan Ludwick, Miguel Tejada has his for the same batting average as Adrian Gonzalez.

Jerry Hairston Jr. holds a .251 average and 50 RBI. Chase Headley has been a pleasant surprise hitting .278 with 10 HRs and 53 RBI. Will Venable has added to this Padres lineup putting up 11 HRs so far.

Raging Bullpen

With a bullpen like this, shutting down the opponents is a breeze. Heath Bell has been absolutely spectacular at the closer role posting a 5-0 win-loss record, 1.84 ERA, and 37 saves. With only three blown saves and 11 ER this season, Heath Bell looks to demolish his numbers from last year.

Luke Gregerson is the Padres seventh inning guy. He owns a nasty slider and a 2.64 ERA with a Padres record of two months without a walk.

Mike Adams has turned the Padres 8th inning into nothing but zeros. Adams is 2-1 with a 1.81 and 55 K.

There's no better feeling for your starting pitcher over having a shutdown bullpen.

On The Road Success

The Padres are glad to say they own one of the best road records in the MLB. Only second to Tampa Bay, the Padres have taken their home success to the road.

Hitting the road is one of the hardest aspects to adjust to in the MLB, and the Padres seem to be doing it just right. In the MLB, your road record is one of the most important factors in a winning record, and successful team.

The Padres continue their success in hitting and pitching wherever their schedule may take them.

The Front Office

From Bud Black to Jeff Moorad, the Padres front office has been phenomenal in putting a team together that not only has good chemistry, but good success on the field.

Kevin Towers put together the 2009 Padres and was known for his talent in finding talent in released pitchers. Jed Hoyer took over for 2010, and has made nothing but great moves. Bringing in veterans like Ryan Ludwick and Miguel Tejada to carry this team into the postseason.

The Padres have turned things around in San Diego and continue to dominate and lead in several categories throughout the MLB.