“It’s humbling. I don’t know if it’s deserving” – Billy Wagner makes feelings known about Hall of Fame journey

It may have come down to the wire in terms of eligibilty, however, Billy Wagner has finally heard his name called to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The long-time closer of the Houston Astros more than earned his place in the Hall of Fame thanks to his elite performances out of the bullpen and currently sits 8th all-time in career saves with 422.

Once MLB players first reach the Hall of Fame ballot, they need to first off recieve a minimum of 5% of votes to remain on it for the following year's vote, while also having 10 years to finally recieve the 75% to earn enshrinement. For Billy Wagner, he saw his number reach 82.5%, earning his rightful place in history.

During a press conference, which was broadcast on MLB Network, Wagner spoke about his long road to the Hall of Fame. Unsurprisingly, the former Houston Astros closer was emotional, talking about the difficulties that come with having one's career analyzed year after year without being declared worthy of enshrinement.

"It's humbling. It's special to be the first in Division 3 Southwest Virginia. To be on a stage where you're with greats, it's humbling. I don't know if it's deserving but to sit out 10 years and have your career scrutinized, it's tough. The 10th year was, to be expected, the toughest, but as I'm sitting here, it was worth it," Wagner said of his journey to the Hall of Fame.

Wagner, who spent time with several other clubs, including the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies, more than lived up to his expectations after being selected in the first round of the 1993 MLB Draft.

At only 5-foot-10, Billy Wagner was smaller than the average pitcher but was arguably more effective out of the bullpen. Something he addressed during the presser.

"I hope that people look back and see the endurance it took to deal with these things. I hope kids around see that there is a chance that you can get here and it is possible. The size and where you're from doesn't matter," Wagner continued.

Billy Wagner will enter the Hall of Fame with CC Sabathia and Ichiro Suzuki

Whether or not Billy Wagner feels that he was deserving of the Hall of Fame, he certainly earned it with his dominance on the field. The former closer will enter the Hall of Fame on July 27, and will be joined by former New York Yankees ace CC Sabathia and Seattle Mariners legend Ichiro Suzuki.

Even though only three players were chosen for induction this year, each player made an undeniable case for their names to be placed next to the all-time greats. The only other player on the ballot to receive over 70% of the required votes was former New York Mets slugger Carlos Beltran.