Billy Wagner elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

Billy Wagner has been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his 10th and final year on the ballot, receiving 82.5% of the votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The former Astros closer expressed deep emotion upon hearing the news, reflecting on his decade-long wait and the support from his high school coaches. Wagner's career includes 422 saves, ranking eighth all-time, alongside a remarkable 2.31 ERA and a strikeout rate of 11.9 K/9 innings. He joins Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, Dave Parker, and Dick Allen in the Hall’s Class of 2025, with the induction ceremony scheduled for July 27. Wagner's journey to Cooperstown was notably challenging, having come just five votes short the previous year. His heartfelt reaction highlighted both joy and relief at finally achieving this significant milestone in his career.