Billy Wagner

From BR Bullpen

William Edward Wagner (Billy the Kid)

Bats Left, Throws Left
Height 5' 10", Weight 180 lb.
School Ferrum College
Debut September 13, 1995
Born July 25, 1971 in Tannersville, VA USA

[edit] Biographical Information

Billy Wagner ranks # 7 on the all-time list for saves (as of the end of 2007), although he has never led the league in any one season in that category. Since he is still only 36 (as of the end of 2007), he could easily end up somewhere in the top 5 before he is finished.

Wagner, one of only four major leaguers out of Ferrum College, was a first-round pick in 1993. In the minors, he was exclusively a starter, while in the majors he has been exclusively a reliever.

His Adjusted ERA+ of 180 is higher than any player on the formal list (which requires a minimum of 1,000 innings, something Wagner does not yet have). As a comparison, Pedro Martinez has an Adjusted ERA+ of 161. Mariano Rivera, however, who also has fewer than 1,000 innings, has an Adjusted ERA+ of 194.

Signed with the New York Mets, November 28, 2005, he put up a number of solid seasons as the Mets' closer, even if marked with the occasional high-profile blown save. However, he was placed on the disabled list with an elbow injury in August 2008 and in early September, it was announced he would undergo Tommy John surgery and would miss the remainder of the season and all of 2009. The Mets went into a tailspin after Wagner's injury, led by their bullpen's inability to hold on to late-inning leads, and were passed by the Phillies in the NL East, and by the Milwaukee Brewers for the wild card on the season's last day.

With Wagner seemingly unavailable for 2009, the Mets went out and signed free agent closer Francisco Rodriguez and acquired former Seattle Mariners closer J.J. Putz in a trade to further bolster their bullpen. However, Wagner beat the odds by completing his rehabilitation from surgery in less than a year, going back on the mound for the Mets on August 20, with a fastball still clocked at 96 mph. The Mets had fallen well out of contention by that point, though, because of injuries to a number of key offensive players such as Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and Jose Reyes.