Last Updated: June 17th, 2026 by Michael Griffin
Want to know something incredible about Billy Wagner, the lefty who hurled thunderbolts to close games? To quote Inigo Montoya from the classic movie “The Princess Bride”: “I am not left-handed.” Yup. Wagner is right-handed, but since he broke his dominant arm twice at a young age, he taught himself to throw lefty. Pretty impressive results, huh? Here are 10 feats that he accomplished in a career that saw him voted into Cooperstown:
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Reaching 400 Saves—A Club So Exclusive, It’s Practically Velvet Rope
400 saves is quite a milestone, and Wagner managed to reach it. He did it by challenging the hitters to make contact on his heater, and very few did. Instead, they’d have to watch the catcher go out and congratulate the lefty on closing out another game.
Posting a Career ERA Below 2.50—The Stuff of Bullpen Legends
Want more proof that Wagner’s stuff was nearly untouchable? His career ERA was 2.31, a feat that only one other reliever reached — some guy named Mariano Rivera. If you can keep your ERA below the current price of gas, then you did pretty well.
Winning the 1999 Rolaids Relief Man Award—Back When “Closer” Meant Fireman
Billy Wagner wouldn’t have looked out of place coming to the mound wearing a fireman’s hat. He extinguished the hot bats of opposing teams, but he did it with his own fire, not water. That’s relief.
Seven-Time All-Star—Every Midsummer Classic Needs a Flamethrower
Seven All-Star nods mean you’re not just a flash in the pan—you’re the whole sizzle. Wagner brought his 100-mph fastball to make even the best hitters look foolish. If you can make All-Stars give nodding respect, then you’ve done well.
Fanning Over 1,100 Batters—With a Fastball That Whistled Like a Summer Train
Wagner struck out 1,196 big leaguers throughout his career, including superstars like Barry Bonds. He had one goal, and that was to make hitters flail at his fastball. As you can see, he was successful at it.
Averaging Nearly 12 Strikeouts Per Nine—The Kind of Math Even Old-Timers Love
Nearly twelve punchouts for every nine innings (an astounding 11.9 K/9, to be exact)? The air from the bats constantly swinging and missing would cool an outdoor stadium on the hottest of days.
Top Five in Saves Six Different Seasons—Consistency Worth Its Own Baseball Card
In six seasons, Wagner finished in the top five for saves—a mark of reliability that would make a Maytag salesman jealous. The teams that he pitched for knew that they were getting someone who would slam the door for them.
He Finished a Combined No-Hitter Against the Yankees
2003 was a fantastic year for Wagner (more on his stats in another slide), but he had a big career highlight on June 11. The Astros came into Yankee Stadium and had several pitchers combine to no-hit the Bronx Bombers. It’s not like they were the Yankees of 10 years earlier; this squad would go to the World Series. Wagner got the last three outs, and here you see him right after making the play at first to end it.
Saving 44 Games for the 2003 Astros—Houston’s Hottest Hand Since Nolan Ryan
Wagner saved an incredible 44 games for the Astros in 2003— including that aforementioned combined no-hitter. He also had a jaw-dropping 0.87 WHIP. Just amazing.
Posting a Jaw-Dropping 1.43 ERA in 2010—Defying Age Like a Vintage Baseball Card
At 38, most pitchers have hung up the cleats and are pursuing hobbies like golf. Not Wagner. In 2010, his final season, he posted a 1.43 ERA with the Braves. Even though there was strong evidence he had enough in the tank to pitch at a high level for a few more seasons, he then elected to retire. In 2025, he’s going to be taking the podium to make his Hall of Fame speech.