Can you only imagine?

This week controversy surrounded the selection of Rick Porcello as the American League Cy Young winner, as determined by a select group of members of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Porcello, of the Boston Red Sox, edged out Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander despite the fact Verlander received 14 first place votes to Porcello’s eight. Just five votes separated the vote tally between Porcello and Verlander.

Porcello and Verlander just a few years ago were teammates on the Tigers, as was this year’s National League winner — Max Scherzer. Tigers fans at the time knew they were blessed, but seeing the results of the voting this week only reminds us of how the Tigers failed to make the most of that talent when it was assembled all together in one place.

Losing by such a slim, controversial margin is not new to Verlander. In 2012 he lost out to David Price by four points. And, as fate would have it, Price eventually also would become a teammate of Verlander, Porcello and Scherzer in August 2014.

For the remainder of that season the team had a pitching rotation that on paper, should have been unstoppable.

If only …