The National Baseball Hall for Fame excludes Billy Wagner in his second-to-last year of eligibility.
On Tuesday evening, Billy Wagner, who completed the final innings of his first eight seasons with Houston as a ninth-inning reliever pitcher, was not selected for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Wagner received 73.8% of the Baseball Journalists Association of America’s vote. According to the MLB Network, he fell five votes short of the minimum threshold of 75%. Joe Mauer, Adrian Beltre, and Todd Helton were inducted in 2024.
In his second-to-last year of eligibility, Wagner, whom the Houston Astros chose 12th overall in the 1993 MLB Amateur Draft, received no entry into the prestigious hall in Cooperstown, New York.
In 2016, Wagner appeared on 10.5% of ballots when he was first eligible. In 16 seasons, the seven-time All-Star ranks sixth in career wins with 422, finishing 47-40 with a 2.31 ERA.
He struck out 1,196 batters across 903 innings as a left-handed reliever for the Houston Astros (1995–2003), Philadelphia, the New York Mets (2004–05), Boston, and Atlanta from 2009 to 2010.
The BBWAA, the selection body for the Hall of Fame, supported Wagner’s induction with 68% of their vote last year, despite his stellar resume.
The Hall for Fame Ballot Tracker predicted preceding Tuesday’s announcement that Wagner would receive 78% of the vote, which would be sufficient for induction.
Baseball Hall of Fame inductees are eligible for ten years, beginning five years after their retirement season. Wagner ceased his Brave service in 2010 and became eligible to run for office again in 2016.
Wagner has endeavored to attain the distinction alongside partners Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell ever since.
Additionally excluded from consideration were Carlos Beltran as well as Andy Pettitte, both of whom were prominent former Astros.
At the tender age of 19, Jones debuted in the major leagues in 1996 and immediately established himself as a fixture with the Atlanta Braves during the postseason. Jones hit two home runs in his first two at-bats against the New York Yankees in Game 1.
When combined with his home run in Game 7 of the NLCS, Jones became the youngest player in Major League Baseball history to hit a home run during the postseason. Despite the Braves’ World Series loss to the Yankees, Jones’ star continued to rise.
2005 should be remembered with fondness by Braves supporters because he led the National League in home runs with 51 and RBI with 128 in 160 games played.
Jones was selected for the All-Star Game and received a gold glove and a silver slugger that year.
During his seventeen-year Major League Baseball tenure, Jones amassed the following statistics: a.254 batting average, a.337 on-base percentage, a.486 slugging percentage, 434 batted in, 1,204 runs, 1,289 RBI, and 1,933 hits.
Jones has earned ten Gold Glove awards and made five All-Star Game appearances. However, he placed second in the NL MVP voting, trailing first baseman Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Tuesday evening marked the unveiling of the BBWAA vote results for the 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame inductees. Billy Wagner was unsuccessful in his ninth attempt.
With 73.8% of the vote, he is comfortably within striking distance as he prepares to run for the tenth and final occasion on the ballot the following winter.
This time around, he was five votes out of induction. However, I have some good news for the left-handed fireballer (yes, I assume he continues to throw the ball hard).
Wagner’s induction is highly probable. Initially, straightforward logistics helped Wagner. This year saw the induction of Adrián Beltré, Joe Mauer, and Todd Helton, as well as Gary Sheffield’s exclusion for failing to reach 75% in his tenth year.
While Ichiro Suzuki and CC Sabathia may both be certainties for the following season, they represent only two of the four formidable candidates who are being eliminated from consideration.
That aids. Moving forward, Jones should experience a surge in support, ensuring his re-election. Absent that, it would be unexpected.