Wed Jan 22 04:40:00 IST 2025: ## Former Astros Reliever Billy Wagner Awaits Hall of Fame Decision

**HOUSTON, TX** – Former Houston Astros closer Billy Wagner is on the edge of his seat, awaiting Tuesday’s announcement of the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class. In his tenth and final year on the ballot, Wagner needs 75 percent of the vote to be inducted. Last year, he fell just five votes short, garnering 73.8 percent.

Wagner, who boasts a stellar career with 422 career saves (second most by a left-hander in AL/NL history) and a 2.31 ERA, is experiencing more anxiety this year than even his most pressure-packed ninth-inning appearances. He started his Hall of Fame bid with only 10.5% of the vote in 2016 but steadily gained momentum, making significant jumps each year.

While maintaining a busy schedule coaching high school baseball in Charlottesville, Virginia, Wagner admits to frequently checking the vote count. He’ll be spending Tuesday with friends and family, attempting to distract himself from the anticipation. The announcement will be broadcast on MLB Network at 5 p.m. CT.

Wagner’s potential induction would be historic, as he’d be the first Hall of Famer from Southwest Virginia and the first Division III baseball player to achieve this honor. His exceptional career statistics, including the best career strikeout rate and opponent batting average among pitchers with at least 900 innings, speak volumes for his case.

Despite a positive outlook based on publicly released ballots, Wagner acknowledges the uncertainty and hopes for a final “save” on Tuesday. “It looks good right now, but you never know,” he said. “Hopefully I get lucky.”

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