In electing Wagner, the BBWAA has defined the modern-day closer as its own entity, with candidates’ credentials measured not against the whole of the body but against this specific peer group.

Wagner had a 1.98 earned run average and struck out 22 of the 56 batters he faced in his 15 games for the Red sox in 2009.

It was a long time coming, but Billy Wagner finally closed it out. And he couldn’t keep the emotions from flowing. The seven-time All-Star, in his final year of eligibility, was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame with 82.5 percent of the vote.

Chase Utley is well-positioned to someday reach the 75% mark for election, but Jimmy Rollins and Bobby Abreu are spinning their wheels.

Wagner, one of the game's all-time great relievers, made the cut during the final year of his eligibility on the Baseball Writers Association of America ballot, receiving 82.5% of the vote. Wagner would've been removed from the ballot if he didn't meet the voting requirement in 2025, and it's clear just how much it meant to him to get the nod.

It was an emotional moment for Wagner, who has used his time coaching baseball at the Miller School in Charlottesville, Virginia; travel baseball and helping his alma mater Ferrum College, to keep from overwhelming himself with the looming finality of his final year on the ballot.

Several Houston Astros’ legends reacted to Billy Wagner’s selection into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The former closer’s road to Cooperstown began in Houston in 1995. During his nine years with the Astros,