Billy Wagner, baseball player, 1995-2010

Billy Wagner

⭐ Hall of Fame 2025

Born: 7/25/1971 in Marion, VA, USA

MLB Debut: 1995-09-13 | Final Game: 2010-10-03

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: William Edward Wagner

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Biography

Billy Wagner, born in 1971, was a prominent pitcher who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball from 1995 until his retirement in 2010. Known for his exceptional fastball and dominant strikeout ability, Wagner finished his career with a record of 47-40 and an impressive earned run average (ERA) of 2.31. He amassed a total of 1,196 strikeouts and secured 422 saves, solidifying his reputation as one of the most effective closers of his era. His six All-Star selections highlighted his consistent performance and dominance on the mound. Wagner was known for his fiery demeanor and competitive spirit, traits that endeared him to fans and teammates alike. He played during a time when the role of the closer became increasingly vital in the game, and he thrived in high-pressure situations, often delivering crucial performances in the late innings. His contributions to the sport were recognized with his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025, a testament to his exceptional career and lasting legacy in the game.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
47 40 853 0 0 0 422 903.0 601 232 82 300 1196 2.31 0

Career ERA 2.31 vs. league average 4.43 across their career seasons — 47.8% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1995 HOU NL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.3 0 0 0 0 0.00 — 0.0
1996 HOU NL 2 2 37 0 0 0 9 51.7 28 14 30 67 2.44 4.61 (+47%) 792.5
1997 HOU NL 7 8 62 0 0 0 23 66.3 49 21 30 106 2.85 4.39 (+35%) 3368.4
1998 HOU NL 4 3 58 0 0 0 30 60.0 46 18 25 97 2.70 4.43 (+39%) 3000.3
1999 HOU NL 4 1 66 0 0 0 39 74.7 35 13 23 124 1.57 4.71 (+67%) 5801.8
2000 HOU NL 2 4 28 0 0 0 6 27.7 28 19 18 28 6.18 4.77 (-30%) -848.7
2001 HOU NL 2 5 64 0 0 0 39 62.7 44 19 20 79 2.73 4.42 (+38%) 2627.3
2002 HOU NL 4 2 70 0 0 0 35 75.0 51 21 22 88 2.52 4.28 (+41%) 2835.6
2003 HOU NL 1 4 78 0 0 0 44 86.0 52 17 23 105 1.78 4.40 (+60%) 3706.1
2004 PHI NL 4 0 45 0 0 0 21 48.3 31 13 6 59 2.42 4.46 (+46%) 2459.5
2005 PHI NL 4 3 75 0 0 0 38 77.7 45 13 20 87 1.51 4.29 (+65%) 3192.9
2006 NYN NL 3 2 70 0 0 0 40 72.3 59 18 21 94 2.24 4.53 (+51%) 3091.0
2007 NYN NL 2 2 66 0 0 0 34 68.3 55 20 22 80 2.63 4.47 (+41%) 2390.3
2008 NYN NL 0 1 45 0 0 0 27 47.0 32 12 10 52 2.30 4.32 (+47%) 1969.2
2009 NYN NL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2.0 0 0 1 4 0.00 — 0.0
2009 BOS AL 1 1 15 0 0 0 0 13.7 8 3 7 22 1.98 4.32 (+54%) 595.1
2010 ATL NL 7 2 71 0 0 0 37 69.3 38 11 22 104 1.43 4.08 (+65%) 3483.6

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
854 20 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 12 0.100 0.143 0.100 0.243 0.0

Career AVG .100 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — 62.4% below league average.

Career OBP .143 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 57.4% below league average.

Career SLG .100 vs. league average .422 across their career seasons — 76.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.243 vs. league average 0.758 across their career seasons — 67.9% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1995 HOU NL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1996 HOU NL 37 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1997 HOU NL 62 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1998 HOU NL 58 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.333 — — — — 0.0
1999 HOU NL 66 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2000 HOU NL 28 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2001 HOU NL 64 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2002 HOU NL 70 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2003 HOU NL 78 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2004 PHI NL 46 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2005 PHI NL 75 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.333 — — — — 0.0
2006 NYN NL 70 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2007 NYN NL 66 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2008 NYN NL 45 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2009 NYN NL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2009 BOS AL 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2010 ATL NL 71 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2010 NLDS2 ATL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2009 ALDS2 BOS 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2006 NLCS NYN 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2006 NLDS1 NYN 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2001 NLDS1 HOU 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1999 NLDS1 HOU 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1998 NLDS2 HOU 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1997 NLDS2 HOU 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 1 14 0 3 11.7 21 13 2 13 10.03

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2010 NLDS2 ATL 0 0 1 0 0 0.3 1 0 0 0 0.00
2009 ALDS2 BOS 0 0 2 0 0 1.0 2 2 1 2 18.00
2006 NLCS NYN 0 1 3 0 1 2.7 7 5 1 0 16.88
2006 NLDS1 NYN 0 0 3 0 2 3.0 3 1 0 4 3.00
2001 NLDS1 HOU 0 0 2 0 0 1.7 1 1 0 3 5.40
1999 NLDS1 HOU 0 0 1 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 1 0.00
1998 NLDS2 HOU 1 0 1 0 0 1.0 4 2 0 1 18.00
1997 NLDS2 HOU 0 0 1 0 0 1.0 3 2 0 2 18.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 853 0 33 86 5 2

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1995 HOU P 1 0 0 0 0 0
1996 HOU P 37 0 2 3 0 0
1997 HOU P 62 0 2 7 1 0
1998 HOU P 58 0 2 2 1 0
1999 HOU P 66 0 2 5 0 1
2000 HOU P 28 0 1 2 0 0
2001 HOU P 64 0 1 5 1 0
2002 HOU P 70 0 5 9 0 0
2003 HOU P 78 0 5 11 0 0
2004 PHI P 45 0 3 7 0 0
2005 PHI P 75 0 4 6 0 1
2006 NYN P 70 0 1 11 0 0
2007 NYN P 66 0 1 7 1 0
2008 NYN P 45 0 1 2 0 0
2009 NYN P 2 0 0 0 0 0
2009 BOS P 15 0 0 2 0 0
2010 ATL P 71 0 3 7 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 854

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
2007 Reliever of the Month July
1999 Reliever of the Year Award

Featured In Rankings

#2
Top 20 Closers of All Time in History of MLB Baseball
Ranked 2 of 20
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Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2010 ATL NL $6,750,000
2009 NYN NL $10,500,000
2008 NYN NL $10,500,000
2007 NYN NL $10,500,000
2006 NYN NL $10,500,000
2005 PHI NL $9,000,000
2004 PHI NL $8,000,000
2003 HOU NL $8,000,000
2002 HOU NL $8,000,000
2001 HOU NL $5,000,000
2000 HOU NL $3,200,000
1999 HOU NL $2,250,000
1998 HOU NL $280,000
1997 HOU NL $185,000
1996 HOU NL $109,000
1995 HOU NL $109,000
Total Career Earnings $92,883,000

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Ferrum College Ferrum VA 1991, 1992, 1993

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
2006 Cy Young Award NL 6th 4.0 160 0
2003 Most Valuable Player NL 23th 5.0 448 0
1999 Cy Young Award NL 4th 3.0 160 0
1999 Most Valuable Player NL 16th 19.0 448 0