FERRUM, Va. – On Sunday, July 27, former Ferrum College and Major League Baseball standout Billy Wagner will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025. Wagner is the first-ever NCAA Division III player to be named to the Hall of Fame.
Joining Wagner in the Class of 2025 are Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia. All three were selected by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). Additionally, Dave Parker of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the late Dick Allen of the Philadelphia Phillies have been selected by the Classic Baseball Era Committee.
2025 National Baseball Hall of Fame Weekend link
- WHEN: Sunday, July 27, 2025, 1:30 p.m. ET
- WHERE: Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, New York
- ATTEND: Open to the public, lawn seating unlimited and free of charge. Fans encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket.
- WATCH: Exclusively televised on MLB Network, and available to stream on MLB.TV, MLB.com, and the MLB app.
Wagner, the seven-time MLB All-Star had a record-setting baseball career at Ferrum from 1991-93 before being drafted by the Astros in the first round of the 1993 MLB Amateur Draft as the #12 pick overall. In his tenth and final year on the Hall of Fame ballot, Wagner received over 82.5% of the total votes cast, exceeding the 75% minimum required to be inducted.
Wagner closed his three-year Ferrum career with a 17-3 record and a 1.63 earned run average. He still holds the NCAA Div. III single-season record for most strikeouts per nine innings at 19.1 with 109 strikeouts in 51.1 innings in 1992, and the career record for most strikeouts per nine innings, with 16.0 with 327 strikeouts in 182.1 innings to this day. Wagner was a 1993 first-team NCAA Division III All-American for the Panthers. He was selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball 1993 June Draft by the Houston Astros as the #12 pick overall. Wagner also played a year as a starting defensive back on Ferrum's football team in 1990, with one career interception.
Wagner's 18-year professional baseball career, 16 in the majors, includes: Auburn Astros (A) 1993, Quad City River Bandits (A) 1994, Jackson Generals (AA) 1995, Tucson Toros (AAA) 1995, Houston Astros 1995-2003, Philadelphia Phillies 2003-05, New York Mets 2005-2009, Boston Red Sox 2009, and Atlanta Braves 2010. Wagner made his Major League Baseball debut with the Astros on September 13, 1995. He is a seven-time MLB All-Star (1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010) and was the 1999 MLB National League Rolaids Relief Award Winner.
Wagner's MLB Numbers
- Career Saves: 422, second best by a left-hand reliever. Eighth best all time.
- Career Strikeouts: 1,196, second most ever by a left-hand reliever and sixth most among all relievers
- Highest K/9 of all time with 11.9 (min. 900 innings pitched)
- Four 100-strikeout seasons
- Ten seasons with at least 75 strikeouts
- .187 career batting average allowed
- Career Earned Run Average: 2.31
- 2010 Earned Run Average: 1.43
- Nine 30-save seasons
- Drafted: first round in 1993 by Houston Astros as 12th pick overall
- Major League Teams (by games pitched): Astros/Phillies/Mets/Red Sox/Braves
- MLB career stats: 47-40 record, 2.31 ear, 422 saves, 11.9 strikeouts per 9 innings
Wagner is head baseball coach at the Miller School of Albemarle in Charlottesville, Virginia. He is married to Ferrum College alumna Sarah Quesenberry. Wagner was enshrined in the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in November of 2019.
