ICHIRO SUZUKI, CC SABATHIA AND BILLY WAGNER The wait is over. For two of the three newest members, it was the shortest wait possible. For the third, the longest. Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner are officially Hall of Fame-bound,

TAZEWELL, Va. (WVVA) - In his final year of eligibility, Billy Wagner has finally made it to Cooperstown. Wagner, a Tazewell high school and Ferrum College alum, has finally etched his name into the MLB history books, being inducted as a member of the 2025 Hall of Fame class. Other member include Ichiro Suzuki and CC Sabathia.

Billy Wagner fell just five votes short of induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame last January, making 2025 his 10th and final eligible year on the ballot for enshrinement in Cooperstown. The former Houston Astros closer finally broke through Tuesday night.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame has announced its inductees for the class of 2025. Three players are set to be enshrined in Cooperstown in this year's class: Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner.

Suzuki came in first in terms of voting with 393, making history as the first Japanese-born player elected to the Hall of Fame. He was close to making history again as he was nearly unanimous– and he would have been in some pretty weighty company to share with Yankee legends Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter.

Sports' Gabe Lacques explains how Suzuki, Sabathia and Wagner were elected to the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class.

Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese player chosen for baseball’s Hall of Fame, falling one vote shy of unanimous when he was elected along with CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner.

The trio of stars, each of whom spent part of their career in New York, will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 27.

ICHIRO SUZUKI, CC SABATHIA AND BILLY WAGNER The wait is over. For two of the three newest members, it was the shortest wait possible. For the third, the longest. Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner are officially Hall of Fame-bound,

Wagner was elected in his 10th and final year on the ballot with 82.5% of the vote. Chase Utley climbed to 39.8% in his second year.

In his 10th and final year on the ballot, former Astros closer Billy Wagner earned is place in Cooperstown, N.Y. in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.