Aren’t all relief pitchers just failed starters?
In Billy Wagner’s case, the answer is a definite no.
The power-packed left-hander never started a game in his major league career (though he did almost exclusively in the minors). Perhaps Wagner could have been an MLB starter … if he hadn’t been so effective out of the bullpen.
The No. 12 overall pick by the Houston Astros in 1993 out of Ferrum College in Virginia, Wagner threw exceptionally hard, especially for someone only 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds. After reaching the majors in 1996, he began dominating hitters almost immediately and quickly became the team’s closer. He earned the first of his seven All-Star nods in 1999 – when he posted a stellar 1.57 ERA with 39 saves and finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting.