Making the Hall of Fame case for Hoffman, Wagner

The National Baseball Hall of Fame is set to announce its Class of 2017 on Wednesday, Jan. 18. In the days leading up to the announcement, theScore's MLB editors will preview players who could potentially head to Cooperstown.

When the Baseball Writers' Association of America reveals the final tally of votes for Hall of Fame election on Jan. 18, two of baseball's greatest closers in history may not have their names announced. Trevor Hoffman and Billy Wagner are both in their second years of eligibility, and because of the respective roles they were asked to fill - although performed in dominant fashion - they may be ostracized from Cooperstown.

Today, we'll make a case for both Hoffman and Wagner to have their names listed among the greatest players in the history of the game.

The Player

Player: Trevor Hoffman
Teams: Florida Marlins (1), San Diego Padres (16), Milwaukee Brewers (2)
Position: Pitcher
Retired: 2011
Current Age: 49
Year on ballot: 2nd
Percentage of Vote: 73.3 (Calculated by Ryan Thibodaux)

The Resume

MLB Seasons: 18
All-Star: 7
NL Saves leader: 1998 (53), 2006 (46)
NL Cy Young: Runner-up x 2 (1998, 2006)

Trevor Hoffman missed election into baseball's Hall of Fame by a mere 34 votes last year, his first of eligibility, and when the results of the 73rd Hall of Fame election are revealed, his chances to enter Cooperstown should be high once again. Relievers entering the Hall are a rare sight, but it does happen; see Rollie Fingers and Goose Gossage as examples. Hoffman trails only Mariano Rivera for most saves in the history of baseball. In fact, Hoffman was so dominant in his role that the award given to the best relief pitcher in the National League is named in his honor. He maintained an ERA below 3.00 an incredible 13 times, was rarely on the disabled list, and produced at an elite level until 41 years of age (career 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings). Although he didn't log the same kind of innings that Fingers (1,701.1) and Gossage (1,809.1) did, if they're Hall of Famers, so is Hoffman.

Highlights

Hoffman passes Smith for most career saves

As Hoffman walked out to AC/DC's "Hell's Bells" blaring on the Petco Park speakers on Sept. 24, 2006, the crowd was about to witness history. Hoffman stepped to the mound against the Pittsburgh Pirates and retired Ryan Doumit, Jose Bautista, and Freddy Sanchez, respectively, to pass Lee Smith and become baseball's all-time saves leader. Hoffman's reign as saves king would be short-lived, however, with Rivera breaking his mark in 2011.

Padres retire Hoffman's No. 51

After an 18-year career where he became the first player in history to reach 500 and 600 saves, Hoffman's No. 51 was retired by the Padres on Aug. 21, 2011. "When I look up there and see that number, I want you guys to remember that guy cared about being a teammate, and that he understood to achieve true success there's no shortcuts," Hoffman said in front of a large Petco Park audience. The day was later named "Trevor Hoffman Day" by San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders.

The Player

Player: Billy Wagner
Teams: Houston Astros (9), Philadelphia Phillies (2), New York Mets (4), Boston Red Sox (1), Atlanta Braves (1)
Position: Pitcher
Retired: 2010
Current Age: 45
Year on ballot: 2nd
Percentage of Vote: 11.5 (Calculated by Ryan Thibodaux)

The Resume

MLB Seasons: 16
All-Star: 7
League leader in games finished: 2003 (67), 2005 (70)

Making a Hall of Fame case for Wagner is certainly a tougher one than Hoffman, but based on the body of work Wagner put forward during his 16 years in the bigs, he should be in. Wagner was one of the most dominant strikeout pitchers of his generation, averaging more per nine innings than Rivera, Hoffman, Fingers, Gossage, and Lee Smith. Wagner's LOB percentage was also higher than Rivera, who will likely be a first-ballot Hall of Famer inductee when he is eligible. Wagner also recorded ERAs under 2.00 five times. Among relievers, Wagner was worth 24.1 WAR - good for sixth all time - despite pitching far fewer innings than those ahead of him on the leader board. It's unlikely Wagner will be inducted this season, as he's only appeared on 12 percent of ballots thus far - a year after earning just 9.4 percent - which is the lowest percentage aside from Jorge Posada.

Highlights

Wagner closes out six-pitcher no-hitter

On June 11, 2003 at Yankee Stadium, the Astros used a combined six pitchers to throw a no-hitter against the New York Yankees during an 8-0 victory. Wagner was part of the odd occurrence, closing out the final inning of the contest after Roy Oswalt, Peter Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, and Octavio Dotel held New York hitless ahead of him. The game ended when Wagner forced Hideki Matsui to ground out to first.

Wagner sets strikeout record for lefty relievers

On Aug. 27, 2010, his last season in the big leagues, Wagner etched his name in the history books when he struck out Mike Stanton (before he changed his name to Giancarlo) to set the record for most strikeouts in baseball history by a left-handed reliever. Wagner passed Jesse Orosco's total of 1,169 and would finish his career with 1,196.

(Videos courtesy: MLB.com)