In his final time on the ballot, he finally makes it
In his 10th and final year on the ballot to make the MLB’s Hall of Fame, Astros reliever Billy Wagner finally makes it, getting 82.5% of the votes (75% needed to make the HOF). The nine-year Astro finished his career 422 saves (8th all time), a 0.998 WHIP, and 1196 strikeouts to only 300 walks, giving him one of the best K/9 in MLB history (11.9). His 33.2% strikeout rate also ranks among some of the top in the MLB with at least 800 innings.
Wagner made his first appearance on the ballot in 2016 and only received just over 10% of the votes, keeping his name on for the next year by getting above 5%. His votes started going up in 2021 when he 46.4% and they kept going up year after year until, in 2024 and his second to last time, he fell five votes short of making it, getting 73.8%. That number skyrocketed in the 2025 ballot, increasing by almost 10%, allowing him to make the hall of his last time on the ballot.