Former Met Billy Wagner Inducted to Baseball Hall of Fame
After ten years on the ballot, former Mets closer Billy Wagner has been elected to Cooperstown’s Baseball Hall of Fame.
Billy Wagner, a name that resonates with every Mets fan, garnered 325 [Baseball Writers Association of American] Hall of Fame votes, appearing on 82.5% of the ballots for the Class of 2025. One of the most dominant closers of his era (and the game entirely), Wagner’s induction cements his incredible legacy as an all-time great. For the Mets-faithful, it’s not just a chance to reminisce in the glory of his impactful stint in Queens but also another proud association for the Amazin’s as his name will forever etched in the team’s history (again).
Billy Wagner gets the phone call that he’s been waiting 10 years for 🥹
(via @OrtizKicks)pic.twitter.com/EH7h4iaY6i
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) January 21, 2025
Cooperstown Closer
When the Mets signed Wagner before the 2006 season, they weren’t just getting a Hall of Fame-class closer—they were bringing a flamethrowing lefty to Flushing who could shut the door like so few others in baseball history. That first season in Queens, Wagner lived up to the billing, racking up 40 saves with a 2.24 ERA in 70 appearances. Unfortunately, Mets fans remember Game Seven of the National League [Championship] push that year, but nonetheless, Wagner has stated to this day that he agrees with manager Willie Randolph’s decision not to bring him in.
His time in Queens featured plenty of personal milestones, none bigger than his 300th career save. On July 4, 2006, in a 7-6 win over the Pirates, Wagner became one of the now 31 pitchers in MLB history to ever hit that mark. The lefty earned two of his All-Star nods as a Met (2007, 2008), backed by his now-historic numbers. During his time in New York, Wagner posted a 2.37 ERA overall, recorded 230 Ks in just 189.2 innings, and notched 101 saves. It was poetry in motion. Injuries limited his final year with the team, but even his brief 2009 return showcased the electric stuff that had defined his career.
In its entirety, Wagner’s career 2.31 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 1,196 Ks, and 903.0 innings pitched over 853 appearances is undoubtedly one to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame forever. The seven-time All-star racked up 422 saves —the eighth-most in MLB history—over his 16-year career. Something almost unfathomable in modern baseball.
In his 10th and final year on the ballot, Billy Wagner has been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame!
Congratulations, Billy đź‘Ź pic.twitter.com/VwGQTH5WYs
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) January 21, 2025
Ten Years Too Long
Having been on only 10.5% in his debut year (2016) and then 10.2% percent of the ballots in his second appearance year, Wagner is the only candidate [in the modern election era] to receive less than 15% of the vote on three different BBWAA ballots before eventually being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Though the closer was a part of the organization before the Cohen family finalized their purchase of the club in 2020, Alex and Steve [Cohen] congratulated the former Met on Tuesday in a joint statement,
“Congratulations to Billy Wagner on baseball’s highest honor. He was a two-time All-Star during his four seasons in Queens and earned his 300th career save in a Mets uniform. Billy was one of the game’s dominant closers and will now be forever enshrined in the Hall of Fame.”
One More Win for Wagner
From Division III starter at Virginia’s Ferrum College to Cooperstown Closer, the lights-out-lefty has come a long way. While his tenure in Queens was just a slice of a 16-year journey (drafted by the Houston Astros in 1993 and stayed with the club until 2003, spent 2004-2005 with the Philadelphia Phillies, then the Mets from 2006-2009, went to the Boston Red Sox in 2009, and retired with the Atlanta Braves for 2010), his Hall of Fame induction isn’t just deserved; it’s overdue. After ten years on the ballot, with this being his last eligible round, Billy Wagner closed it out with a crunch-time win—just like he’d done 422 times in the Majors.
Billy Wagner with a special message for you Mets fans! pic.twitter.com/EOY6mLSArx
— New York Mets (@Mets) January 22, 2025
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Beltrán, Wright to Remain on the Ballot
Of the other New York Mets up for a possible Hall of Fame election this year, Carlos Beltrán received 277 votes, appearing on 70.3% of the BBWAA ballots for his third round on the ticket, and David Wright surpassed the 5% “stay on” threshold, appearing on 8.1% of ballots, with 32 votes in his second year.
