Former MLB Pitcher Enters Hall of Fame Praising the Lord: ‘God Is Great’

Published: July 31, 2025

By Mallory Mattingly

Former MLB pitcher Billy Wagner, also known as “Billy the Kid,” praised God as he entered the Baseball Hall of Fame Sunday night.

“I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for my Lord and Savior,” he said. “Without You, none of this would be possible, and with You, nothing is impossible. Not even a 5-foot-nothing, 100-pound-nothing making the Hall of Fame. God is great.”

According to Sports Spectrum, Wagner, a lefty relief pitcher, “compiled a 2.31 ERA, 1,196 strikeouts and 422 saves across 16 MLB seasons (1995-2010).”

Along with the rest of the 2025 class, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

“Known for his 100-mph fastball, he played with five teams during his career — perhaps most notably with the Houston Astros (1995-2003) — and was a seven-time All-Star,” the outlet said.

For more inspiring sports stories, check out Sports Spectrum.

Wagner thanked his family, friends and everyone else involved in his career and shared some encouragement for the next generation of baseball stars.

“To every kid out there, this is my message to you,” Wagner said. “Obstacles are not a road block. Obstacles are stepping stones. They build you and shape you, refine you. I wasn’t the biggest. I wasn’t left-handed. I wasn’t supposed to be here.”

“There were only seven full-time relievers in the Hall of Fame. Now, there are eight because I refused to give up or give in. I refused to listen to the outside critics, and I never stopped working,” he continued. “That’s what this game does for you: It teaches you about life. It teaches you how to persevere. Don’t fear failure. Embrace it, because perseverance isn’t just a trait, it’s the path to greatness…Play to win, and let God take of the rest. Thank you and God bless.”

In February, Wagner detailed his faith with Scott Linebrink on Sports Spectrum’s “Get in the Game” podcast.

“God has blessed me with so much, but He wants me to use that for something more,” Wagner said. “…This isn’t truly all about me. This is about the blessing and the grace of God that got me here. Because by no means should I be where I’m at today with all that I have done and the things that I’ve said and fell so short. But God’s blessed me with grace and mercy now for me to go out there and say, ‘Hey, I do believe in Jesus Christ. I do know that there is a higher power.’”