5 other controversial award snubs in MLB history

When two writers left Justin Verlander off their ballots, essentially handing Rick Porcello the AL Cy Young in a very close vote, it ignited a storm of controversy.

While Porcello had a fine season for the Boston Red Sox and was undoubtedly deserving of his spot as a finalist, many observers - led by Verlander's fiancee, Kate Upton - felt he was robbed of his second Cy Young, and pointed to statistics as evidence.

Verlander's name is on a long list of often egregious baseball players who've been snubbed during award season. To give Verlander some comfort during this trying time, here are five other big award snubs in baseball history.

1996 AL MVP

Who won: Juan Gonzalez, Rangers OF
Who should have won: Alex Rodriguez, Mariners SS

(Bold indicates league leader)

At least Mike Trout's MVP-less 2012 can be explained because of another equally historic campaign that year. A-Rod getting passed over in 1996 - he won the batting title and put up the best season by a 20-year-old until Trout's 2012 - defies all logic. Gonzalez improbably beat Rodriguez for MVP by three points despite playing fewer games, not earning an All-Star berth, failing to lead the league in a single category, and being an extreme defensive liability. What happened? Gonzalez's larger RBI total and his Rangers making the playoffs ahead of Rodriguez's Mariners probably combined to make A-Rod one of the biggest snubs ever. And if all that wasn't bad enough, Gonzalez did it again in 1998, running away with the MVP vote on his RBI total despite a 40-40 campaign from Rodriguez - who somehow finished ninth.

1990 Cy Young

Who won: Bob Welch, Athletics RH
Who should have won: Roger Clemens, Red Sox RH

Hall of Fame voters have snubbed Clemens, one of the greatest pitchers ever, for years, but he shouldn't be surprised given voters' oversight of his 1990 season. Welch made a real run at 30 wins - he finished with 27, still tied for the most since baseball's last 30-game winner in 1968 - but he wasn't even the best pitcher on his own team; that honor went to Dave Stewart. All Clemens did, meanwhile, was record one of only three sub-2.00 ERA seasons by an AL pitcher in the designated hitter era while allowing just seven homers, in addition to blowing away Welch in virtually every other non-wins category. Clemens won a record seven Cy Youngs over his illustrious career, but Welch outright stole his eighth.

1995 AL MVP

Who won: Mo Vaughn, Red Sox 1B
Who should have won: Albert Belle, Indians OF

In a strike-shortened campaign, Belle posted the first and only 50-homer, 50-double season in the history of baseball. He might have even reached 60 of each had the league played a full 162 games. But in one of the closest MVP votes ever, Vaughn - who tied Belle for the AL's RBI title and was a nicer guy off the field - took home the award by eight points. Voters overlooked Belle's unmatched performance for the 100-win Indians because of his off-field issues and difficulty with the media; fresh memories of the famous corked bat incident a year earlier didn't help either. Belle the person never made any friends, and it didn't help him win awards during his brief and brilliant career - but this snub is still one of the all-time worst.

1996 NL MVP

Who won: Ken Caminiti, Padres 3B
Who should have won: Barry Bonds, Giants OF

Once again, another prickly legend of the game was denied the chance to increase his record award total. Bonds put up only the second 40-40 season in baseball history to that point, had better numbers than virtually every other NL candidate, and won another Gold Glove on top of it all. Caminiti, who later confessed to using steroids throughout his 1996 season, rose to the top of a crowded field of sluggers in an era of bloated offensive numbers thanks in part to his RBI total and the Padres winning the NL West. But perhaps the most vexing part of this vote was not only that Caminiti won with ease, taking all 28 first-place votes, but that Bonds finished in fifth place. Bonds went on to win four more MVPs in the early 2000s, but this snub quietly remains one of the award's biggest oversights, "steroid era" or not.

1941 AL MVP

Who won: Joe DiMaggio, Yankees OF
Who should have won: Ted Williams, Red Sox OF

Williams, always a thorn in the media's side, unfairly lost out on several MVPs during his storied career, including his two Triple Crown-winning seasons of 1942 (Joe Gordon) and 1947 (DiMaggio). As unfair as those snubs were, though, nothing can compare to the disregard shown to him in 1941. Williams hit .406 that year, and remains the last player to ever top the magic .400 mark, while dominating in virtually every other category. But his Red Sox finished 17 games behind the pennant-winning Yankees, who had DiMaggio in their lineup, who just so happened to hit safely in 56 straight games. Nobody had ever seen anything like it, and that famous hitting streak literally lifted Joltin' Joe to his second MVP over the .400-hitting Williams. Just let that one sink in.