Billy Wagner Hall election bodes well for Josh Hader

HOUSTON – Relievers are people too. That’s the line Astros All-Star closer Josh Hader delivered with a smile when asked about the difficulty relievers have had gaining support for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Former Astros closer Billy Wagner will make history Sunday as the first left-handed reliever inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. The seven-time All-Star should have been elected earlier, but at least he’s finally among the immortals.

“It’s amazing,” Hader said of Wagner’s Hall of Fame election. “Just the way he goes about his business, the hard work he put in to do what he’s been able to do, just his story is amazing.”

Mariano Rivera, the all-time saves leader with 652, is the only Hall of Famer elected unanimously by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Other relievers haven’t garnered as much support, though.

Lee Smith, who was the all-time saves leader when he retired, was inducted in 2019 with Rivera. But Smith was elected by the Today’s Game Era committee after he failed to get enough support during his 15 years on the BBWAA ballot.

Trevor Hoffman, who retired with the all-time record of 601 saves, was elected in 2018 in his third year of eligibility. Hoffman and Wagner made their debuts on the Hall’s BBWAA ballot together in 2016.  They joined Rivera as the three greatest relievers of their time.

Wagner set to join immortals

Despite seven All-Star berths, an NL Rolaids Relief Award, the lowest WHIP (0.998) among all retired relievers with at least 700 innings, and Top 1 or 2 in several key categories among relievers elected to the Hall, Wagner was made to wait until his 10th and final year of eligibility on the BBWAA ballot.

Wagner’s election is a good sign for Hader and other elite relievers, though.

“I think it’s obviously a great honor for him and his family,” Hader said of Wagner. “But also for us relievers (and) also just baseball players. The bullpen is a different beast. Not many people know much about what goes into it on a daily basis out there. 

“For a guy to be as good as he was it takes a lot of hard work, a lot of sacrifice. And for him to get that honor, I mean that’s amazing for the game of baseball.”

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Wagner was 47-40 with a 2.31 ERA and 422 saves over his 16-year career. Considering he earned his final All-Star berth in his 16th season, it’s fair to say Wagner could have kept chasing stats if he had not decided to retire to be at home coaching his sons.

Hader, 31, already has 226 career saves through his ninth season. He leads the American League with 27 saves this season. He may have already been closer to 250 saves if the 2020 season hadn’t been shortened to 60 games because of the COVID pandemic. Hader led the National League with 13 saves that year. 

Josh Hader on good pace

Josh Hader is currently 46th on baseball’s all-time saves list. He is one spot and two saves behind Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm, a knuckleballer who pitched 20 seasons. Wilhelm waited until his eighth year on the BBWAA ballot before he was elected. Goose Gossage waited nine years until he was elected for the Class of 2008.

Bruce Sutter, who had 300 saves, was on the ballot 13 years before he was inducted in 2006. At that time players could remain on the BBWAA ballot for 15 years.

Hader is on pace to blow past Sutter’s and Gossage’s numbers. If he remains healthy and effective, Hader could very well climb close to Billy Wagner’s save total. He’s only one All-Star berth away from tying Wagner and Smith. Hader is tied with Hall of Famers Sutter and Dennis Eckersley with six All-Star berths.

“Honestly, I’ve never really thought about it,” Hader says of being elected to the Hall. “For me, I’ve never really thought about what could be. I think if I put in the work each and every day and I play the game the right way and just honor what happened or how the game goes. Maybe one day if people think that I’m worth it that would be great.

“But for me I don’t play this game to be in the Hall of Fame. Honestly mine is to use the gift that I have to be able to grind with these guys each and every day to win a World Series. Ultimately that’s my one goal that I would say that I would really, really want. So whatever that takes.”

Rolaids Award collector

A World Series title would definitely bolster Hader’s Hall of Fame case to go along with the three Trevor Hoffman NL Rolaids Reliever of the Year Award. At this point, he’s one of the favorites to win the Mariano Rivera AL Rolaids Reliever of the Year Award this season. 

He’s been considered the best reliever in his league three times already. Those awards bolster his Hall of Fame case, considering he has been viewed as the best reliever in his league for more than a third of his career.

 

He may very well become the second left-hander elected to the Hall of Fame. 

“If down the road after my career is done and I’m fortunate enough to get the chance to even be named to possibly go into the Hall of Fame, I think that would be an amazing honor,” Hader said. “There are so many great guys that have played this game (who) are in that. 

“So like I said, I don’t think about it too much. But I think it would definitely be amazing. That’s where all the greats have gone, so it definitely means you’ve done something in this game.”