Player Biography
Billy Wagner pitched 16 seasons for the Astros, Phillies, Mets, Red Sox and Braves, totaling 422 saves, the second-best mark by a left-hander in MLB history. A natural right-hander who transitioned to lefty after a childhood accident. Wagner’s career walks-plus-hits-per-innings-pitched ratio (WHIP) of 0.998 is lowest among all retired relievers with at least 700 innings pitched and his career 2.31 ERA is lowest among retired left-handed pitchers with at least 500 innings pitched in Live Ball era. A seven-time All-Star who recorded 12 seasons with 20-plus saves, nine seasons with 30-or-more and two with 40-or more, Wagner led NL in games finished twice and finished among league top five in saves four times. He set a record (since surpassed) for highest single-season-strikeout-per-nine innings rate among relievers (14.95) in 1999. Wagner won the 1999 NL Rolaids Relief Award and finished a no-hitter that included six Astros pitchers vs. Yankees on June 11, 2003.
Player Biography
Billy Wagner pitched 16 seasons for the Astros, Phillies, Mets, Red Sox and Braves, totaling 422 saves, the second-best mark by a left-hander in MLB history. A natural right-hander who transitioned to lefty after a childhood accident. Wagner’s career walks-plus-hits-per-innings-pitched ratio (WHIP) of 0.998 is lowest among all retired relievers with at least 700 innings pitched and his career 2.31 ERA is lowest among retired left-handed pitchers with at least 500 innings pitched in Live Ball era. A seven-time All-Star who recorded 12 seasons with 20-plus saves, nine seasons with 30-or-more and two with 40-or more, Wagner led NL in games finished twice and finished among league top five in saves four times. He set a record (since surpassed) for highest single-season-strikeout-per-nine innings rate among relievers (14.95) in 1999. Wagner won the 1999 NL Rolaids Relief Award and finished a no-hitter that included six Astros pitchers vs. Yankees on June 11, 2003.
