In his 10th and final year on the ballot, former Mets closer Billy Wagner finally garnered enough votes to take his rightful place in Cooperstown in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Along with Wagner, Ichiro Suzuki and CC Sabathia were elected.
Wagner got tantalizingly close last year when he earned 73.8 percent of the needed 75 percent of the vote. This time, he got over the hump appearing on 82.5 percent ballots (325 of 394 ballots).
One of the most dominant relievers in baseball history, Wagner pitched for the Mets from 2006 to 2009 during a career that also included stints with the Houston Astros (1995 to 2003), Philadelphia Phillies (2004 to 2005), Boston Red Sox (2009), and Atlanta Braves (2010).
A seven-time All-Star who twice finished in the top 10 of Cy Young voting, Wagner had a 2.31 ERA and 0.99 WHIP while striking out 1,196 batters in 903.0 innings over 853 appearances during his 16-year career.
Along the way, Wagner earned 422 saves -- the eighth-most in MLB history.
Wagner was electric during his Mets tenure, with a 2.37 ERA and 1.05 WHIP to go along with 230 strikeouts in 189.2 innings over 183 appearances.
Speaking with SNY at Mets Old Timer's Day in 2022, Wagner reflected on his favorite Mets moments.
"There's so many great moments," Wagner said. "I got my 300th save here, I think that was on Fourth of July. And then I think making the playoffs in '06 and the energy that brought. Watching of course Endy's (catch in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS).
"And also it's just being around the teammates. Watching Tom Glavine get his 300th win, Pedro [Martinez] getting his 200th win. I think being around those guys was tremendous. That was a lot of fun."
