Jeff Bagwell believes fellow Astros legend Billy Wagner deserves a place in the Hall of Fame alongside him

Jeff Bagwell, a Hall of Fame baseball player, recently made a strong statement regarding the candidacy of his former teammate, Billy Wagner, for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The former Houston Astros first baseman believes that Wagner deserves the honor and hopes the voters will recognize his accomplishments and contributions to the sport.

In an interview with MLB Network, Bagwell said:

“A hundred percent. He was as dominating as it gets. It’s a shame, but these things take time. He got a big jump last year. Hopefully, this year he’ll get in the next vote. He certainly deserves to be.”

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017, Jeff Bagwell played with Billy Wagner for the Houston Astros from 1995 to 2003 and saw firsthand Wagner's impact on the team.

Billy Wagner, a left-handed relief pitcher, played in the MLB for 16 seasons from 1995 to 2010 and was a dominant force throughout his career. He finished his career with 422 saves, which ranks sixth all time, and was named an All-Star seven times. Wagner also had a career ERA of 2.31 and struck out 1,196 batters in just over 900 innings pitched.

Despite these impressive statistics, Billy Wagner is yet to be elected to the Hall of Fame. In his first year of eligibility in 2016, Wagner received only 10.5% of the vote, well below the 75% threshold needed for induction.

Even though his vote totals have steadily increased since then, reaching 68.1% in January 2023, Wagner still has a long way to go.

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Will Billy Wagner be a National Baseball Hall of Famer in the next two years?

Florida Marlins v Atlanta Braves

While Billy Wagner's former Houston Astros teammate Jeff Bagwell believes he should be elected to the Hall of Fame later this year, it is his eighth year on the ballot. Players can remain on the ballot for 10 years, which means that Wagner has two years remaining to secure the 75% votes required to be inducted.

Ultimately, whether or not Wagner is elected to the Hall of Fame will be up to the voters, who are made up of members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Although Wagner has never won a World Series, Jeff Bagwell's endorsement carries weight, as he is a respected member of the baseball community and a Hall of Famer himself. If enough voters are swayed by Bagwell's words and Wagner's impressive resume, we may see him enshrined in Cooperstown in the near future.