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College baseball is more popular than ever, with more games on TV and big attendance figures, especially in the SEC -- heck, LSU averaged more fans per home game in 2018 than the Miami Marlins. The rich history of the College World Series includes dynasties, future major league All-Stars and heroes like Warren Morris in 1996:
On this date: LSU wins title on Morris' walk-off homer
On June 8, 1996, Warren Morris sends a home run over the right-field fence with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting LSU to a 9-8 win over Miami (Fla.) for the College World Series title.
I thought it would be fun to go through and pick out the ultimate lineups in NCAA baseball history. I focused on the years 1965 to the present. The first draft was held in 1965, and it makes it much easier to track players to specific schools via the draft results and the database at Baseball-Reference.com. (Plus, there weren't that many college players in the majors prior to then, as college baseball didn't really begin to blossom as a route to the majors until the 1970s.)
For the lineups, I picked 15 players based on their value in the major leagues (not what they did in college): eight position players, a DH, a bench player and five pitchers (current players are bolded). I then used cumulative WAR (note: Stats are current through May 6) to rank the top 15 ultimate college baseball lineups -- with some surprise schools that made it and some perennial powers that did not.
15. Florida State
College World Series appearances: 22 (last in 2017)
Titles: 0
The Seminoles have the third-most College World Series appearances, including 16 under legendary coach Mike Martin, now in his 40th season and the winningest coach in college baseball history. They've made the NCAA tournament every season under Martin and have twice been CWS runner-ups under his helm. The school has produced 19 first-round picks, including No. 1 overall selection Paul Wilson in 1994.
C - Buster Posey (41.4 WAR, 1,174 G, 135 HR, .305 career BA, 2012 MVP)
1B - Doug Mientkiewicz (11.8 WAR, 1,087 G, 66 HR, twice hit .300)
2B - Jody Reed (15.9 WAR, 1,284 G, 27 HR, .270 career BA)
3B - Luis Alicea (11.9 WAR, 1,341 G, 47 HR, 1,031 hits)
SS - Stephen Drew (17.0 WAR, 1,268 G, 123 HR, 1,109 hits)
LF - Johnny Grubb (16.6 WAR, 1,424 G, 99 HR, All-Star in 1974)
CF - Deion Sanders (5.5 WAR, 641 G, 39 HR, 186 SB)
RF - J.D. Drew (44.9 WAR, 1,566 G, 242 HR, .384 career OBP)
DH - Terry Kennedy (21.6 WAR, 1,491 G, 113 HR, four-time All-Star C)
Bench - Paul Sorrento (5.6 WAR, 1,093 G, 166 HR, 31 HR in '97)
P - Roger Bailey (5.2 WAR, 92 G, 18-19, 4.90 ERA)
P - Randy Choate (4.4 WAR, 672 G, 16-14, 3.90 ERA)
P - John Wasdin (3.4 WAR, 328 G, 39-39, 5.28 ERA)
P - Paul Wilson (2.0 WAR, 170 G, 40-58, 4.86 ERA)
P - Luke Weaver (0.1 WAR, 59 G, 18-18, 4.58 ERA)
Posey and the underrated J.D. Drew anchor the lineup with power and OBP, and it would be a very good defensive team in the infield. Sanders provides plenty of speed and personality. As successful as the Seminoles have been, it's remarkable that they've produced so few pitchers -- and not a single one with even 10 career WAR.
All-time great: Posey was a drafted out of high school as a pitcher, played shortstop at FSU before converting to catcher (he once played all nine positions in a game) and became the fifth overall pick in 2008 after hitting .463 to win the Golden Spikes Award. A three-time World Series champ with the Giants, he's a six-time All-Star and potential Hall of Famer.
Best current major leaguer: It may be Diamondbacks starter Luke Weaver, who came over from the Cardinals in the offseason and is off to a great start, and not Posey, who is off to a slow start after hip surgery.
Guy who didn't make it: Ken Felder. Wilson was a disappointment as the first overall pick by the Mets, but injuries were a big reason why. He missed three seasons of major league action following his rookie season due to a torn labrum and Tommy John surgery. At least he made it to the majors. Felder was a tantalizing power prospect who had also been a backup quarterback on the football team. The Brewers took him 12th overall in 1992 -- even though he'd hit .254 as a sophomore and .268 as a junior. The bat didn't develop due to injuries and strikeout issues. He has become a successful player agent.
14. Arkansas
College World Series appearances: 9 (last in 2018)
Titles: 0
The Razorbacks finished second to Oregon State last season, winning the first game of the finals before dropping the final two, their best result since a runner-up finish in 1979. Arkansas has produced seven first-round picks, including Jeff King, the No. 1 overall pick in 1986.
C - Tom Pagnozzi (7.7 WAR, 927 G, 44 HR, three-time Gold Glover)
1B - Eric Hinske (7.8 WAR, 1,387 G, 137 HR, 2002 Rookie of the Year)
2B - Johnny Ray (24.2 WAR, 1,353 G, 53 HR, .290 career BA)
3B - Jeff King (16.8 WAR, 1,201 G, 154 HR, two 100-RBI seasons)
SS - Logan Forsythe (12.7 WAR, 880 G, 66 HR, currently with Rangers)
LF - Andrew Benintendi (7.5 WAR, 362 G, 41 HR, .281 career BA)
CF - Kevin McReynolds (30.1 WAR, 1,502 G, 211 HR, third in '88 MVP vote)
RF - Craig Gentry (9.7 WAR, 601 G, 7 HR, defensive specialist)
DH - Brian Anderson (4.5 WAR, 210 G, 13 HR, fourth in 2018 ROY vote)
Bench - James McCann (3.3 WAR, 468 G, 43 HR, now with White Sox)
P - Cliff Lee (43.5 WAR, 328 G, 143-91, 3.52 ERA, 2008 Cy Young)
P - Dallas Keuchel (18.3 WAR, 192 G, 76-63, 3.66 ERA, 2015 Cy Young)
P - Drew Smyly (9.5 WAR, 160 G, 31-29, 3.84 ERA)
P - Les Lancaster (6.5 WAR, 323 G, 41-28, 4.05 ERA, 22 saves)
P - Tim Lollar (5.8 WAR, 199 G, 47-52, 4.27 ERA)
The strength of the team would be the two Cy Young lefties in the rotation -- proof that good things can come after the first round of the draft. King had a decent major league career but didn't live up to the hype as the No. 1 pick (Matt Williams, Kevin Brown and Gary Sheffield were taken in the next five picks) -- and he abruptly retired in May 1999, just a couple of days after becoming fully vested in the pension plan. McReynolds had a solid run with the Padres and Mets in the '80s, averaging 3.8 WAR from 1984 to 1990. Benintendi and Anderson are a couple of recent graduates of the program who should have long careers.
All-time great: Cliff Lee played one year at Arkansas and posted a 4.45 ERA, splitting time between starting and relieving, but the Expos still drafted him in the fourth round and later traded him to Cleveland, where he became a Cy Young winner and one of the best starters in the game.
Best current major leaguer: Benintendi hit .290 and scored 103 runs for the Red Sox last year -- and won a World Series.
Guy who didn't make it: Zack Cox looked like a prototypical Cardinals first-round college pick in 2010 and was twice a top-100 prospect by Baseball America, but his bat stalled in Triple-A.
13. Cal State Fullerton
College World Series appearances: 18 (last in 2017)
Titles: 4 (last in 2004)
Able to recruit locally in the baseball hotbed of Southern California, Fullerton has never had a losing season since moving up to Division I in 1975. Augie Garrido won three titles in two different stints as coach, while George Horton coached the 2004 champs. The school has produced 14 first-round picks, including Phil Nevin, the first overall pick in 1992 by the Astros (famously, Astros scout Hal Newhouser quit after the team passed on drafting Derek Jeter with the pick).
C - Kurt Suzuki (20.0 WAR, 1,409 G, 116 HR, in 13th big league season)
1B - Tim Wallach (38.5 WAR, 2,212 G, 260 HR, five-time All-Star)
2B - Justin Turner (24.3 WAR, 967 G, 94 HR, two top-10 MVP finishes)
3B - Matt Chapman (13.5 WAR, 262 G, 46 HR, 2018 Gold Glover)
SS - Christian Colon (1.8 WAR, 142 G, 1 HR)
LF - Khris Davis (12.7 WAR, 807 G, 203 HR, three straight 40-HR seasons)
CF - Mark Kotsay (21.3 WAR, 1,914 G, 127 HR, .276 career BA)
RF - Aaron Rowand (20.9 WAR, 1,358 G, 136 HR, All-Star in 2007)
DH - Phil Nevin (15.9 WAR, 1,217 G, 208 HR, 41 HR & 126 RBI in 2001)
Bench - Reed Johnson (10.3 WAR, 1,320 G, 65 G, .279 career BA)
P - Ricky Romero (9.9 WAR, 129 G, 51-45, 4.16 ERA, 2011 All-Star)
P - Mike Harkey (6.3 WAR, 131 G, 36-36, 4.49 ERA, fourth pick in 1987)
P - Chad Cordero (7.3 WAR, 314 G, 20-15, 2.89 ERA, 128 saves)
P - Chris Devenski (5.0 WAR, 172 G, 14-12, 2.82 ERA)
P - Michael Lorenzen (4.1 WAR, 191 G, 18-16, 4.06 ERA)
Kotsay was one of the greatest players in college baseball history, twice hitting over .400, with 20-plus home runs each season, while also serving as the closer on the 1995 title team (he was Most Outstanding Player of the CWS that year). Chapman, Oakland's first-round pick in 2014, has developed into one of the best all-around players in the majors. We'll slide Turner over to second base and put Khris Davis in the cleanup spot. The pitching is thin on starters -- Romero was off to a promising start before a sudden inability to throw strikes -- but deep in relievers.
All-time great: Tim Wallach was the Golden Spikes winner in 1979 and led the Titans to the CWS title. The Expos drafted him 10th overall, and he reached the majors the following season. From 1982 to 1990, he averaged 4.0 WAR per season, and was known for his outstanding defense at third base (although he moves to first base in this lineup to accommodate Chapman).
Best current major leaguer: A's third baseman Chapman has gone from late first-round pick to Gold Glove winner and top-10 MVP finisher. In other words: one of the best players in the game.
Guy who didn't make it: The Twins drafted right-hander Adam Johnson second overall in 2000, but he won just one game in the majors.
12. Miami (Fla.)
College World Series appearances: 25 (last in 2016)
Titles: 4 (last in 2001)
The U has long been a college baseball powerhouse, although it's now close to 20 years since its last championship. Ron Fraser coached the program for 30 years, from 1963 to 1992, and won two titles, while Jim Morris won two as well. The school has been better at producing hitters at the major league level than pitchers and has produced 11 first-round picks. Third baseman Pat Burrell was the first overall pick in 1998.
C - Charles Johnson (22.6 WAR, 1,188 G, 167 HR, four-time Gold Glover)
1B - Aubrey Huff (20.4 WAR, 1,681 G, 242 HR, .278 career BA)
2B - F.P. Santangelo (6.7 WAR, 665 G, 21 HR, .364 career OBP)
3B - Mike Pagliarulo (10.6 WAR, 1,246 G, 134 HR, 60 HR in '86-'87)
SS - Alex Cora (7.0 WAR, 1,273 G, 35 HR, .243 career BA)
LF - Greg Vaughn (30.8 HR, 1,731 G, 355 HR, 50 HR in 1998)
CF - Jon Jay (13.9 WAR, 1,131 G, 36 HR, .285 career BA)
RF - Ryan Braun (46.0 WAR, 1,613 G, 328 HR, 2011 NL MVP)
DH - Pat Burrell (18.9 WAR, 1,640 G, 292 HR, four 30-HR seasons)
Bench - Yasmani Grandal (14.2 WAR, 755 G, 119 HR, three 20-HR seasons)
P - Neal Heaton (8.4 WAR, 382 G, 80-96, 4.37 ERA, 1990 All-Star)
P - Danny Graves (5.6 WAR, 518 G, 43-44, 4.05 ERA, 182 saves)
P - Mike Armstrong (1.3 WAR, 197 G, 19-17, 4.10 ERA, 11 saves)
P - Chris Perez (4.7 WAR, 393 G, 16-24, 3.51 ERA, 133 saves)
P - Joe Grahe (4.1 WAR, 187 G, 22-30, 4.41 ERA, 45 saves)
This lineup would feature an imposing foursome of sluggers in Braun, Vaughn, Burrell and Huff, but the pitching staff is heavy on relievers. Heaton, who went 18-4 as a sophomore and 16-1 as a junior, is a member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame. If you want to stretch things, you can include Alex Fernandez on the pitching staff. He played at Miami as a freshman before transferring to Miami Dade CC as a sophomore (he won 107 games in the majors).
All-time great: Braun was the fifth overall pick in 2005, and by 2007 was NL Rookie of the Year with the Brewers. He'd win MVP honors in 2011 and finish second in the 2012 voting, but a PED suspension cast a cloud over his greatness.
Best current major leaguer: Grandal is one of the best-hitting catchers in the majors, with three straight seasons of 20-plus home runs.
Guy who didn't make it: The Dodgers drafted shortstop Ross Jones ninth in 1980, but he had just 167 plate appearances in the majors (none with the Dodgers).
11. Michigan
College World Series appearances: 7 (last in 1984)
Titles: 2 (last in 1962)
A surprise team on our top-15 list, given Michigan has a rich baseball history and made the NCAA tournament in 2015 and 2017. Hall of Famer Barry Larkin and pitcher Jim Abbott are the most famous alums, but the school has produced a handful of quality pitchers and churned out several quality big leaguers in the '70s and '80s.
C - Mike Matheny (-0.4 WAR, 1,305 G, 67 HR, four-time Gold Glover)
1B - Hal Morris (13.4 WAR, 1,246 G, 76 HR, .304 career BA)
2B - Ted Sizemore (16.1 WAR, 1,411 G, 23 HR, 1969 Rookie of Year)
3B - Chris Sabo (16.6 WAR, 911 G, 116 HR, three-time All-Star, 1988 ROY)
SS - Barry Larkin (70.4 WAR, 2,180 G, 198 HR, 2,340 H, 1995 MVP)
LF - Rick Leach (3.0 WAR, 799 G, 18 HR, All-American QB as well)
CF - Elliott Maddox (14.9 WAR, 1,029 G, 18 HR, eighth in '74 MVP vote)
RF - Leon Roberts (12.1 WAR, 900 G, 78 HR, .301 with 22 HR in '78)
DH - Jake Fox (-0.8 WAR, 193 G, 20 HR, .237 career BA)
Bench - Chris Getz (1.7 WAR, 459 G, 3 HR, seven seasons in majors)
P - Geoff Zahn (20.3 WAR, 304 G, 111-109, 3.74 ERA, won 18 in 1982)
P - Jim Abbott (19.6 WAR, 263 G, 87-108, 4.25 ERA, third in '91 Cy Young)
P - Rich Hill (12.2 WAR, 272 G, 61-41, 3.90 ERA, 3.09 ERA past three seasons)
P - J.J. Putz (13.1 WAR, 572 G, 37-33, 3.08 ERA, 189 saves)
P - Lary Sorensen (12.9 WAR, 346 G, 93-103, 4.15 ERA, won 18 in '78)
The strength here is the pitching staff -- quality major leaguers like Steve Howe, Scott Kamieniecki and Steve Ontiveros would have provided even more depth. Zahn was a craft lefty in the '70s and early '80s and later coached the team for six seasons. Putz had some dominant seasons as a closer and Sorensen was an All-Star in 1978 at 22 -- when he threw 280 innings.
All-time great: Larkin was the fourth overall pick in a loaded 1985 draft. He reached the majors in 1986 and spent 19 seasons with the Reds, making 12 All-Star teams, and was elected to Cooperstown in 2012.
Best current major leaguer: The options are a little slim outside of Dodgers starter Hill, who was drafted way back in 2001 but is still going strong at age 39.
Guy who didn't make it: Rich Stoll. The 14th pick in 1983 by the Expos after leading Michigan to a third-place finish at the CWS, Stoll reached Triple-A. Peter Gammons once reported that the Red Sox were set to take Stoll with the 19th pick, but with him off the board, they settled for another right-hander: Roger Clemens.
10. Auburn
College World Series appearances: 4 (last in 1997)
Titles: 0
The Tigers have had plenty of tournament success, with 19 regional appearances, but it's been more than 20 years since their last CWS trip. The best player in school was Tim Hudson, a two-way star in college. The best pro is Hall of Famer Frank Thomas. The highest-drafted player was Casey Mize, who went first overall last year to the Tigers and is currently tearing up the minors (he'll make this team when we update in the future). The most famous player, however, is Bo Jackson.
C - Andy Merchant (0.1 WAR, 3 G, 0 HR)
1B - Frank Thomas (73.9 WAR, 2,322 G, 521 HR, .301 BA, two-time MVP)
2B - Mark Bellhorn (8.0 WAR, 731 G, 69 HR, 27 HR in '02)
3B - Josh Donaldson (39.9 WAR, 922 G, 188 HR, 2015 MVP)
SS - Tug Hulett (-0.7 WAR, 45 G, 1 HR)
LF - Bo Jackson (8.3 WAR, 694 G, 141 HR, 32 HR in 1989)
CF - Clete Thomas (1.2 WAR, 249 G, 13 HR, .233 career BA)
RF - Gabe Gross (4.6 WAR, 657 G, 40 HR, starting QB in 1998)
DH - Garrett Cooper (0.1 WAR, 33 G, 0 HR)
Bench - Pat Keedy (0.2 WAR, 29 G, 3 HR)
P - Tim Hudson (58.1 WAR, 482 G, 222-133, 3.49 ERA, second in '00 Cy Young)
P - Gregg Olson (12.8 WAR, 622 G, 40-39, 3.46 ERA, 217 saves, '89 ROY)
P - Terry Leach (10.0 WAR, 376 G, 38-27, 3.15 ERA, 10 saves)
P - Scott Sullivan (6.4 WAR, 558 G, 40-28, 3.98 ERA, workhorse reliever)
P - Joe Beckwith (2.9 WAR, 229 G, 18-19, 3.54 ERA, 7 saves)
We have two MVP winners to anchor the lineup in Thomas and Donaldson, and if we can add the 1989 version of Bo -- the year he led off the All-Star Game with a home run -- then we have a meaty middle of the order. Given the weakness at the bottom, maybe we'll turn Hudson into a two-way player. He was one of the best in SEC history his junior season, when he went 15-2 with a 2.97 ERA and hit .396 with 18 home runs. The pitching staff is heavy on relievers behind Hudson, including sidearmers Leach and Sullivan. And if a football game breaks out, we have a Heisman winner, a quarterback in Gross and a one-time tight end in Thomas.
All-time great: The Big Hurt hit .403 with 19 home runs, 73 walks and 25 strikeouts his draft season in 1989, yet fell to seventh in the draft. Less than two years later, he finished third in the MVP voting and would then win back-to-back MVP awards in 1993 and 1994.
Best current major leaguer: It's still Donaldson, at least until Mize arrives in the majors. Last year's first overall pick has overmatched minor leaguers in 2019, including a no-hitter.
Guy who didn't make it: The Angels drafted Chris Bootcheck 20th overall in 2000, but the tall, lanky right-hander never put it all together and won just three games in the majors.
9. Minnesota
College World Series appearances: 5 (last in 1977)
Titles: 3 (last in 1964)
That's right, back in the ancient history era of college baseball, the Golden Gophers were a national power, winning titles in 1956, 1960 and 1964 under College Baseball Hall of Famer Dick Siebert (an 11-year major leaguer). His most famous team was one that didn't win it all, the 1973 team with two-way star Dave Winfield. The Gophers haven't made the CWS since 1977, but have made 20 tournament appearances since then. The school has produced six first-round picks, including Hall of Famers Winfield (fourth pick in 1973) and Paul Molitor (third pick in 1977), who help the Gophers crack the top 10.
C - Dan Wilson (12.9 WAR, 1,299 G, 88 HR, All-Star in 1996)
1B - Robb Quinlan (1.3 WAR, 458 G, 25 HR, .276 career BA)
2B - Brent Gates (5.5 WAR, 685 G, 25 HR, hit .290 as a rookie)
3B - Terry Steinbach (28.0 WAR, 1,546 G, 162 HR, three-time All-Star C)
SS - Jack Hannahan (6.5 WAR, 614 G, 29 HR, mostly 3B in MLB)
LF - J.T. Bruett (0.2 WAR, 73 G, 0 HR)
CF - Paul Molitor (75.7 WAR, 2,683 G, 234 HR, .306 BA, 3,319 hits)
RF - Dave Winfield (64.2 WAR, 2,973 G, 465 HR, .283 BA, 3,110 hits)
DH - Greg Olson (2.2 WAR, 414 G, 20 HR, 1990 All-Star)
Bench - Mike Sadek (-0.1 WAR, 383 G, 5 HR)
P - Denny Neagle (22.4 WAR, 392 G, 124-92, 4.24 ERA, 20 W in '97)
P - Glen Perkins (8.7 WAR, 409 G, 35-25, 3.88 ERA, 120 saves)
P - Jim Brower (3.0 WAR, 354 G, 33-32, 4.67 ERA, 5 saves)
P - Jerry Ujdur (-0.6 WAR, 53 G, 12-16, 4.78 ERA)
P - Bryan Hickerson (-1.0 WAR, 209 G, 21-21, 4.72 ERA)
Obviously, this roster is top heavy, with Molitor and Winfield, plus we have to shift guys around a little bit. Steinbach was a third baseman in college and started a few games there in the majors, but he made his mark as the catcher on the Bash Brothers A's clubs. Molitor did play one season in center field for the Brewers. Hannahan was an excellent third baseman in the majors with the range to fill in at shortstop. In a tournament, the lack of depth would be an issue.
All-time great: Molitor and Winfield were both local kids, Molitor from Cretin-Derham High School in St. Paul (also the school of Hannahan and Joe Mauer) and Winfield from St. Paul Central. Molitor has the higher career WAR (Baseball-Reference doesn't like Winfield's defensive metrics), but let's call this one a tie.
Best current major leaguer: No current major leaguers, although pitchers Ben Meyer and D.J. Snelten both had time in the bigs in 2018.
Guy who didn't make it: Winfield was a baseball and basketball star at Minnesota, but Noel Jenke was a three-sport star, playing baseball, football and hockey. The Vikings drafted him in football, and the Blackhawks tried to sign him to play hockey (Jenke is apparently considered the first college player to use a curved stick), and the Red Sox drafted the outfielder 13th overall in 1969. He signed with Boston but never made the majors and later had a four-year career as a linebacker in the NFL.
8. Georgia Tech
College World Series appearances: 3 (last in 2006)
Titles: 0
Danny Hall has coached the Yellow Jackets since 1994, but his first team remains his best. With a loaded lineup featuring Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Varitek and Jay Payton, the team reached the CWS championship, losing to Oklahoma in the title game. Garciaparra and Varitek were first-round picks that year, with Payton a supplemental first-rounder and pitcher Brad Rigby going in the second round. The highest pick in school history is catcher Joey Bart, drafted second overall last season by the Giants. Tech has had 10 first-round picks and another seven supplemental first-round choices.
C - Jason Varitek (24.2 WAR, 1,546 G, 193 HR, three-time All-Star)
1B - Mark Teixeira (51.8 WAR, 1,862 G, 409 HR, second in 2009 MVP vote)
2B - Eric Patterson (-0.2 WAR, 226 G, 10 HR)
3B - Derek Dietrich (5.8 WAR, 647 G, 70 HR, now with Reds)
SS - Nomar Garciaparra (44.2 WAR, 1,434 G, 229 HR, .372 BA in 2000)
LF - Darren Bragg (8.9 WAR, 916 G, 46 HR, .255 career BA)
CF - Charlie Blackmon (16.6 WAR, 959 G, 149 HR, three-time All-Star)
RF - Jay Payton (15.4 WAR, 1,259 G, 119 HR, .279 career BA)
DH - Matt Wieters (18.0 WAR, 1,094 G, 136 HR, four-time All-Star)
Bench - Matt Murton (3.3 WAR, 346 G, 29 HR, .297 in 2006)
P - Kevin Brown (67.8 WAR, 486 G, 211-144, 3.28 ERA, two-time ERA champ)
P - Micah Owings (3.3 WAR, 138 G, 32-33, 4.86 ERA, .283, 9 HR)
P - Blake Wood (1.0 WAR, 270 G, 16-16, 4.47 ERA)
P - Jim Poole (0.9 WAR, 431 G, 22-12, 4.31 ERA)
P - Marc Pisciotta (0.8 WAR, 75 G, 4-5, 4.24 ERA)
As with Minnesota, if we ran this team out in a pretend tournament format, the lack of pitching and lineup depth would probably hurt them. But that's a fun top of the lineup. We forget how amazing peak Garciaparra was, winning back-to-back batting titles with marks of .357 and .372 in 1999 and 2000. As with Teixeira, injuries later in their careers ended their Hall of Fame chances. You have two good catchers in Varitek and Wieters, and Blackmon is still going strong.
All-time great: The fourth overall pick in 1986, Kevin Brown debuted in the majors with the Rangers that season and went on to 211 wins and had a 2.53 ERA from 1996 to 2001. When he appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2011, however, he received just 12 votes. With an adjusted ERA equal to Bob Gibson, Curt Schilling, Tom Seaver and Justin Verlander, he should have received stronger consideration.
Best current major leaguer: The Rockies drafted Charlie Blackmon in the second round in 2008, and he's made three All-Star teams. He's on his way to scoring 100 runs for the fourth season in a row (he led the NL the past two years).
Guy who didn't make it: A switch-hitting second baseman and star on the 1988 gold medal-winning Olympic team, Ty Griffin was the ninth overall pick in 1988 by the Cubs. With Ryne Sandberg entrenched at second, the Cubs passed on Robin Ventura -- who went 10th to the White Sox -- with the plan of moving Griffin to third base. He was plagued by shoulder issues and never reached the majors, and now coaches high school baseball in Tampa.
7. Long Beach State
College World Series appearances: 4 (last in 1998)
Titles: 0
The "Dirtbags" are another team with the wealth of baseball talent in California at their disposal. Under Dave Snow, they reached four CWS between 1989 and 1998. Evan Longoria is the school's highest overall pick -- third in 2006 -- and the school has produced six first-round picks (and three supplemental first-rounders).
C - Brad Davis (0.4 WAR, 33 G, 3 HR)
1B - Jason Giambi (50.5 WAR, 2,260 G, 440 HR, 2000 AL MVP, 2001 runner-up)
2B - Danny Espinosa (7.5 WAR, 872 G, 98 HR, twice hit 20 HRs)
3B - Evan Longoria (52.4 WAR, 1,596 G, 283 HR, three-time AS, four 30-HR seasons)
SS - Troy Tulowitzki (44.2 WAR, 1,291 G, 225 HR, five-time All-Star, two Gold Gloves)
LF - Jeff McNeil (4.1 WAR, 101 G, 5 HR, off to great start with the Mets)
CF - Jeremy Reed (1.9 WAR, 483 G, 12 HR)
RF - Shane Peterson (0.8 WAR, 125 G, 4 HR)
DH - Bobby Crosby (5.4 WAR, 747 G, 62 HR, 2004 Rookie of Year)
Bench - Matt Duffy (8.7 WAR, 406 G, 21 HR, 4.7 WAR in 2015)
P - Jered Weaver (34.4 WAR, 331 G, 150-98, 3.63 ERA, second in 2011 Cy Young vote)
P - Steve Trachsel (25.1 WAR, 420 G, 143-159, 4.39 ERA, 1996 All-Star)
P - Jason Vargas (15.7 WAR, 275 G, 93-92, 4.30 ERA, 18 wins in 2017)
P - Marco Estrada (12.5 WAR, 283 G, 62-68, 4.29 ERA, 2016 All-Star)
P - Jared Hughes (8.3 WAR, 470 G, 26-20, 2.75 ERA, 11 saves)
The Dirtbags have a pretty impressive foursome to build around in Giambi, Longoria, Tulowitzki and Weaver. Weaver had one of the greatest college seasons ever in 2004, going 15-1 with a 1.63 ERA and 213 K's in 144 innings. He fell to 12th in the draft only because of his bonus demands. The rest of the lineup after the big three is a little weak, although Jeff McNeil might end up having a nice career. The pitching staff has depth, and the school has produced several good relievers, including Bryan Shaw, Randy Moffitt and Nick Vincent.
All-time great: You could go with any of the big three. Tulo was once regarded as the best all-around player in the game, although he never finished higher than fifth in MVP voting, and injuries derailed what would have been an even better career. I'll go with Longoria over Giambi, a nod to his two-way ability, although peak Giambi was amazing, hitting .330/.462/.634 from 2000 to 2002.
Best current major leaguer: With Longoria in decline, the nod goes to Mets infielder/outfielder McNeil, a late bloomer who is hitting well over .300 in his first full season in the majors.
Guy who didn't make it: The ninth pick in 1989, the Angels drafted Kyle Abbott the year after they had drafted Jim Abbott. Kyle went 4-17 in his big league career.
6. Stanford
College World Series appearances: 16 (last in 2008)
Titles: 2 (last in 1988)
Under Mark Marquess, the Stanford coach from 1977 to 2017, the Cardinal built a powerhouse program that won back-to-back titles in 1987 and 1988, and was the runner-up in 2000, 2001 and 2003. The school has made just one CWS trip since that 2003 runner-up finish, however. New Hall of Famer Mike Mussina was a freshman starter on the '88 title team, while Jack McDowell was the ace of the '87 squad. Mark Appel was the first overall pick in 2013, as Stanford has had 24 first-round picks, including eight top-five selections.
C - Bob Boone (27.4 WAR, 2,264 G, 105 HR, four-time All-Star, 8 Gold Gloves)
1B - Mike Aldrete (8.8 WAR, 930 G, 41 HR, hit .325 in 1987)
2B - Jed Lowrie (17.6 WAR, 1,109 G, 104 HR, 2018 All-Star)
3B - Steve Buechele (16.5 WAR, 1,334 G, 137 HR, career-high 22 HR in '91)
SS - Frank Duffy (10.4 WAR, 915 G, 26 HR, traded for George Foster)
LF - Carlos Quentin (10.4 WAR, 834 G, 154 HR, fifth in 2008 MVP vote)
CF - Jeffrey Hammonds (8.6 WAR, 957 G, 110 HR, 2000 All-Star)
RF - Stephen Piscotty (8.1 WAR, 516 G, 70 HR, 27 HR with A's in '18)
DH - Jody Gerut (7.2 WAR, 574 G, 59 HR, .279/22 HR as rookie in '03)
Bench - Jason Castro (11.9 WAR, 764 G, 78 HR, All-Star in 2013)
P - Mike Mussina (82.8 WAR, 537 G, 270-153, 3.68 ERA, eight top-6 Cy Young votes)
P - Jack McDowell (27.8 WAR, 277 G, 127-87, 3.85 ERA, 1993 Cy Young)
P - Rick Helling (20.2 WAR, 301 G, 93-81, 4.68 ERA, won 20 in 1998)
P - Jeremy Guthrie (17.8 WAR, 306 G, 91-109, 4.42 ERA, 15 wins in '13)
P - Drew Storen (4.9 WAR, 470 G, 29-18, 3.45 ERA, 99 saves)
This lineup is built more around depth than star power, although Mussina and McDowell provide a nice 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation. For years, scouts talked about the "Stanford swing," a flat, level swing often tailored to hit to the opposite field. That swing -- and almost all of their hitters employed this style -- worked in college, but a lot of high-profile Stanford hitters failed to adjust to the pros or develop enough power (like first baseman David McCarty, the third overall pick in 1991). Still, Stanford has produced enough solid major leaguers to rank sixth on our list.
All-time great: The Orioles drafted Mike Mussina in the 11th round out of high school, but he went to Stanford and the Orioles redrafted him in the first round (20th overall) in 1990. Known for his knuckle-curve and excellent control, Mussina never won a Cy Young Award nor led in ERA, but he was consistently great for a long time and won 20 games his final season in the majors. He was finally elected to Cooperstown in January on his sixth year on the ballot.
Best current major leaguer: A supplemental first-round pick in 2012, Piscotty moved from third base to the outfield as a pro and has two 20-homer seasons so far.
Guy who didn't make it: The Pirates drafted Appel eighth overall in 2012, but he returned to school, and the Astros took him first overall in 2013 -- famously, just ahead of Kris Bryant. He had a good fastball but was always hittable in the minors and retired last year without reaching the majors, unfortunately making him one of the biggest busts in draft history.
5. San Diego State
College World Series appearances: 0
Titles: 0
The Aztecs are another surprise entry in our top 10 given that they've never reached the College World Series in their 14 tournament appearances (including 2017 and 2018). Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn boosts the overall WAR total, but the school also produced Graig Nettles in the first draft back in 1965, and his career WAR almost matches Gwynn's. The school has also produced enough pitching -- including No. 1 overall pick Stephen Strasburg -- to help them get this high in the rankings.
C - Jason Phillips (-1.7 WAR, 465 G, 30 HR, hit .298 in 2003)
1B - Mark Grace (46.4 WAR, 2,245 G, 173 HR, .303 BA, 2,445 hits)
2B - Al Newman (2.5 WAR, 854 G, 1 HR, eight seasons as utility guy)
3B - Graig Nettles (68.0 WAR, 2,700 G, 390 HR, six-time All-Star)
SS - Bobby Meacham (3.9 WAR, 457 G, 8 HR, eighth overall pick in 1981)
LF - Jeff DaVanon (5.2 WAR, 528 G, 33 HR, .349 career OBP)
CF - Tony Gwynn Jr. (5.2 WAR, 685 G, 7 HR, eight years in majors)
RF - Tony Gwynn (69.2 WAR, 2,440 G, 135 HR, .338 career BA, 3,141 hits)
DH - Travis Lee (7.2 WAR, 1,099 G, 115 HR, second pick in 1996)
Bench - Chris Gwynn (-1.4 WAR, 599 G, 17 HR, 10 seasons in majors)
P - Stephen Strasburg (28.1 WAR, 213 G, 97-53, 3.15 ERA, third in '17 Cy Young vote)
P - Bud Black (20.9 WAR, 398 G, 121-116, 3.84 ERA, won 17 in 1984)
P - Aaron Harang (20.0 WAR, 387 G, 128-143, 4.26 ERA, led NL in W, SO in '06)
P - Dave Smith (11.7 WAR, 609 G, 53-53, 2.67 ERA, 216 saves, two-time All-Star)
P - Justin Masterson (10.3 WAR, 258 G, 64-74, 4.31 ERA, All-Star in 2013)
The top of the lineup would be fun, with Gwynn and Grace hitting line drives, but outside of Nettles, there isn't much power here. Lee lasted nine seasons in the majors, but a career .256/.337/.408 line was a disappointment given his draft position. The rotation is solid, with Strasburg, Black and Harang. Smith was one of the best relievers in the '80s with the Astros.
All-time great: In the same draft that teammate Bobby Meacham went eighth overall, the Padres selected Tony Gwynn in the third round. Gwynn had hit .416 with 11 home runs and just nine strikeouts in 52 games, but one reason he fell: The same day the Padres selected him, the Clippers took him in the NBA draft following a stellar career as a point guard. In fact, Gwynn would join the baseball team at SDSU only after basketball season ended. He chose baseball as a pro, however, and he reached the majors barely a year after getting drafted. Eight batting titles later, he was a first-ballot inductee to Cooperstown.
Best current major leaguer: Strasburg is approaching 100 career wins and has never had a season with an ERA above 3.75.
Guy who didn't make it: Eric Christopherson. A first-round pick (19th overall) in 1990, the catcher spent 10 years in the minors, including five in Triple-A, but never got even a cup of coffee in the big leagues.
4. Texas
College World Series appearances: 36 (last in 2018)
Titles: 6 (last in 2005)
The all-time leader in CWS appearances and tied with LSU for the second-most titles, Bibb Falk, Cliff Gustafson and Augie Garrido each won two championships. The Longhorns have produced 19 first-round picks plus another eight supplemental first-round picks. The school has always been better at producing pitchers than position players: 18 of those 27 first-round picks were pitchers. Greg Swindell, the second overall pick in 1986, is the highest pick in school history, while Roger Clemens is responsible for 45 percent of the cumulative WAR of our Texas roster.
C - Bob Kearney (3.9 WAR, 479 G, 27 HR, .233 career BA)
1B - Brandon Belt (22.9 WAR, 962 G, 117 HR, All-Star in 2016)
2B - Shane Halter (6.4 WAR, 690 G, 45 HR, played all nine positions in 2000)
3B - Dave Chalk (8.5 WAR, 903 G, 15 HR, two-time All-Star)
SS - Spike Owen (12.5 WAR, 1,544 G, 46 HR, 1,211 hits)
LF - Calvin Murray (2.1 WAR, 288 G, 8 HR, two-time first-round pick)
CF - Drew Stubbs (8.3 WAR, 911 G, 92 HR, 22 HR/30 SB in 2010)
RF - Brooks Kieschnick (1.4 WAR, 257 G, 16 HR, 74 G, 4.59 ERA as P)
DH - Keith Moreland (3.5 WAR, 1,306 G, 121 HR, .307/106 RBI in '85)
Bench - Ron Gardenhire (0.8 WAR, 285 G, 4 HR, longtime manager)
P - Roger Clemens (139.2 WAR, 709 G, 354-184, 3.12 ERA, seven Cy Young awards)
P - Burt Hooton (35.6 WAR, 480 G, 151-136, 3.38 ERA, second in '78 Cy Young vote)
P - Greg Swindell (30.5 WAR, 664 G, 123-122, 3.86 ERA, 18 W in 1988)
P - Shane Reynolds (17.8 WAR, 305, 114-96, 4.09 ERA, won 19 in 1998)
P - Huston Street (14.4 WAR, 665 G, 42-34, 2.95 ERA, 324 saves)
It's remarkable how few big major league hitters the Longhorns have produced. Belt is easily the career leader in WAR among position players, and only he and Moreland have hit 100 home runs. In a tournament, however, a rotation of Clemens, Hooton and Swindell would be pretty tough, with Street closing. Hooton had an excellent 10-year run from 1972 to 1981 with the Cubs and Dodgers, including three 5-WAR seasons.
All-time great: Undrafted out of high school, the Mets selected Roger Clemens in the 12th round in 1981 out of San Jacinto JC, but Clemens instead pitched two seasons at Texas, leading the Longhorns to the 1983 national title (although fellow pitcher Calvin Schiraldi was the Most Outstanding Player of the CWS). Somehow, Clemens fell to 19th in the 1983 draft -- the 11th pitcher selected.
Best current major leaguer: Belt was drafted out of high school and junior college as a pitcher, but he wanted to hit. Good decision. He's in his ninth season in the majors.
Guy who didn't make it: Kevin Garner. A two-way threat his junior season, the Padres selected him 10th overall as a pitcher in 1987, but he hurt his elbow in 1988 and moved to the outfield. Injuries and illness stalled his development, and he peaked at Triple-A.
College World Series appearances: 5 (last in 2013)
Titles: 1 (2013)
The Bruins have produced a long list of major leaguers, but surprisingly have reached just five College World Series -- although three of those have come since 2010. The title run in 2013 was a shocker after finishing third in the Pac-12, and they became the first team since 1966 to win the title without hitting a home run in the CWS. Pitcher Adam Plutko was the Most Outstanding Player. The Bruins have produced 12 first-rounders, including four picks in the top three: Gerrit Cole (No. 1 in 2011), Tim Leary (No. 2 in 1979), Troy Glaus (No. 3 in 1997) and Trevor Bauer (No. 3 in 2011).
C - Don Slaught (19.3 WAR, 1,327 G, 77 HR, .283 BA, 1,151 hits)
1B - Chris Chambliss (27.5 WAR, 2,175 G, 185 HR, .279 career BA)
2B - Chase Utley (65.4 WAR, 1,937 G, 259 HR, six-time All-Star)
3B - Troy Glaus (38.0 WAR, 1,537 G, 320 HR, four-time All-Star)
SS - Brandon Crawford (22.9 WAR, 1,138 G, 88 HR, three-time Gold Glover)
LF - Jeff Conine (19.5 WAR, 2,024 G, 214 HR, 1,982 hits)
CF - Shane Mack (21.6 WAR, 923 G, 80 HR, .309 BA from '90 to '94)
RF - Eric Byrnes (10.5 WAR, 963 G, 109 HR, 21 HR/50 SB in 2007)
DH - Todd Zeile (19.4 WAR, 2,158 G, 253 HR, 90+ RBIs five times)
Bench - Mike Gallego (17.0 WAR, 1,111 G, 42 HR, known for defense)
P - Gerrit Cole (17.5 WAR, 166 G, 76-51, 3.39 ERA, two top-5 Cy Young votes)
P - Trevor Bauer (15.7 WAR, 167 G, 63-48, 3.87 ERA, 2.21 ERA in '18)
P - Tim Leary (12.0 WAR, 292 G, 78-105, 4.36 ERA, 17 W/2.91 ERA in '88)
P - Dave Schmidt (8.7 WAR, 376 G, 54-55, 3.88 ERA, 50 saves)
P - Casey Janssen (7.4 WAR, 437 G, 31-29, 3.63 ERA, 90 saves)
The Bruins rank high based more on impressive depth than pure star power -- we couldn't even fit quality major leaguers like Eric Karros and Dave Roberts on the roster. This would be a good defensive team with Crawford and Utley up the middle and has a lot of high-average hitters in guys like Utley, Mack, Conine and Slaught. Glaus (two 40-homer seasons) can hit in the cleanup spot. Teammates Cole and Bauer head the rotation and both appear to have plenty of great seasons ahead of them.
All-time great: If we included the pre-draft era, we could turn to Jackie Robinson, who reportedly hit .097 for the UCLA baseball team in 1940. Instead, we go to another second baseman in Utley, who may have been the second-best player in the majors from 2005 to 2009, when he averaged 7.9 WAR per season (trailing only Albert Pujols).
Best current major leaguer: Cole went first in the 2011 draft, and Bauer third. They finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in last year's AL Cy Young vote, but Bauer may have won it if he hadn't been hit by a line drive and fractured his leg.
Guy who didn't make it: Josh Karp. The sixth pick in 2001, Karp had elite stuff but never dominated in college or in the minors before a shoulder injury ended his career.
2. Arizona State
College World Series appearances: 22 (last in 2010)
Titles: 5 (last in 1981)
The Sun Devils were a power in the 1960s under Bobby Winkles and then for more than two decades under Jim Brock, with five runner-up finishes to go with their five championships. The first player ever drafted was Sun Devils outfielder Rick Monday by the Kansas City Athletics, and in 1976, 13 Sun Devils were drafted, including No. 1 overall pick Floyd Bannister (although ASU was upset in the College World Series that year). Bob Horner was a third Sun Devil drafted first overall (Reggie Jackson was famously drafted second in 1966 behind a catcher named Steve Chilcott), and they've had 20 first-round picks.
C - Paul Lo Duca (17.9 WAR, 1,082 G, 80 HR, four-time All-Star)
1B - Alvin Davis (20.0 WAR, 1,206 G, 160 HR, 1984 Rookie of Year)
2B - Jason Kipnis (21.3 WAR, 1,017 G, 106 HR, two-time All-Star)
3B - Sal Bando (61.5 WAR, 2,019 G, 242 HR, three top-4 MVP votes)
SS - Dustin Pedroia (51.7 WAR, 1,512 G, 140 HR, .299 BA, 2008 MVP)
LF - Barry Bonds (162.8 WAR, 2,986 G, 762 HR, 1.051 OPS, 7 MVPs)
CF - Rick Monday (33.1 WAR, 1,986 G, 241 HR, two-time All-Star)
RF - Reggie Jackson (74.0 WAR, 2,820 G, 563 HR, '73 MVP, Mr. October)
DH - Bob Horner (21.9 WAR, 1,020 G, 218 HR, 1978 Rookie of Year)
Bench - Andre Ethier (21.2 WAR, 1,455 G, 162 HR, .285 career BA)
P - Floyd Bannister (26.3 WAR, 431 G, 134-143, 4.06 ERA, '82 All-Star)
P - Larry Gura (21.4 WAR, 403 G, 126-97, 3.76 ERA, twice won 18)
P - Mike Leake (15.5 WAR, 276 G, 95-90, 4.05 ERA, went straight to MLB)
P - Craig Swan (12.7 WAR, 231 G, 59-72, 3.74 ERA, '78 ERA champ)
P - Gary Gentry (6.1 WAR, 157 G, 46-49, 3.56 ERA, 13 W for '69 Mets)
Wow, there is some serious firepower in this lineup. The nine starters bashed 2,512 career home runs, including two of the greatest sluggers in the game's history in Bonds and Jackson. We had to cheat a little bit and moved Pedroia over to his college position, but we'll sacrifice defense to get his bat in the lineup. The roster is so deep that eight players with at least 10 career WAR couldn't even make the team. The pitching staff isn't as dominant, but Bannister and Gura had long careers and Gentry had a promising start to his career before injuries. Trevor Williams of the Pirates is an up-and-coming starter who will soon surpass Gentry in career WAR.
All-time great: The Giants drafted Barry Bonds in the second round out of high school, but he didn't sign and the Pirates then took him sixth overall in 1985. The first four picks all had long MLB careers -- B.J. Surhoff, Will Clark, Bobby Witt and Barry Larkin -- but the fifth pick was a high school catcher named Kurt Brown by the White Sox. He never made the majors.
Best current major leaguer: Williams, the Pirates' starter, has blossomed the past two seasons, even though he's not a big strikeout guy. But he gets ground balls and weak contact with excellent movement on his fastball.
Guy who didn't make it: Mike Kelly. He was a power-speed threat in college, and the Braves drafted Kelly second overall in 1991, right as their dynasty began. He did get 749 plate appearances in the majors but struggled with breaking balls and hit .241 in his career.
College World Series appearances: 21 (last in 2001)
Titles: 12 (last in 1998)
USC has twice as many CWS titles as the next-best schools (LSU and Texas), but it's been nearly two decades since the Trojans were last seen in Omaha. Under the legendary Rod Dedeaux, the Trojans won six championships in seven years from 1968 to 1974. The Trojans have had 15 first-round picks, plus a slew of high picks back when the secondary phases of the draft existed. Two of the greatest pitchers of all time played for the Trojans, and the roster is so deep that Mark Prior, the No. 2 pick in 2001 and the highest-drafted Trojan, can't crack the team.
C - Dave Engle (3.8 WAR, 594 G, 31 HR, All-Star in 1984)
1B - Mark McGwire (62.2 WAR, 1,874 G, 583 HR, 70 HR in 1998)
2B - Bret Boone (22.8 WAR, 1,780 G, 252 HR, third in 2001 MVP vote)
3B - Jeff Cirillo (34.6 WAR, 1,617 G, 112 HR, .296 career BA)
SS - Roy Smalley (27.9 WAR, 1,653 G, 163 HR, four 20-HR seasons)
LF - Steve Kemp (19.5 WAR, 1,168 G, 130 HR, 100 RBIs in '79, '80)
CF - Fred Lynn (50.2 WAR, 1,969 G, 306 HR, MVP/ROY in 1975)
RF - Geoff Jenkins (21.9 WAR, 1,349 G, 221 HR, .303/34 HR in 2000)
DH - Dave Kingman (17.2 WAR, 1,941 G, 442 HR, 48 HR in 1979)
Bench - Aaron Boone (13.5 WAR, 1,152 G, 126 HR, All-Star in 2003)
P - Tom Seaver (109.9 WAR, 656 G, 311-205, 2.86 ERA, three Cy Youngs)
P - Randy Johnson (101.1 WAR, 618 G, 303-166, 3.29 ERA, five Cy Youngs)
P - Barry Zito (31.9 WAR, 433 G, 165-143, 4.04 ERA, 2002 Cy Young)
P - Jim Barr (30.7 WAR, 454 G, 101-112, 3.56 ERA, 3.08 ERA '72-'76)
P - Bill Lee (22.0 WAR, 416 G, 119-90, 3.62 ERA, won 17 three times)
The Trojans come close to Arizona State's power -- the starting nine hit 2,240 home runs -- but they have Seaver and Johnson, two Hall of Famers who are at the top of any discussion of the greatest pitchers in major league history. With impressive pitching depth behind those two, USC inches past ASU's Bonds-and-Reggie-led lineup for the most cumulative WAR among our 15-man rosters. Seaver and Johnson versus Bonds and Reggie? That would be fun to play out. (For the record: Bonds hit .306/.452/.551 against Johnson with three home runs in 62 PAs; Reggie was .226/.351/.581 off Seaver in 37 PAs, all late in their careers.)
All-time great: The Hall of Famer Seaver had one of the more unusual paths from amateur to professional. The Dodgers drafted him in 1965, but he didn't sign. The Braves then drafted him in the secondary phase of the January draft in 1966, and he agreed to a $40,000 bonus. However, since the USC season had already started, the commissioner nullified the contract. But the NCAA ruled him ineligible for college, so MLB set up a special lottery for Seaver's rights, with the condition the bonus be at least $50,000. The Mets beat out the Phillies and Indians, and the rest is history.
Best current major leaguer: Originally drafted in the first round by the Yankees in 2006, Ian Kennedy is having a resurgent season out of the bullpen for the Royals.
Guy who didn't make it: The Mariners drafted power-hitting catcher Jeff Clement third overall in 2005 -- ahead of Ryan Zimmerman, Ryan Braun, Troy Tulowitzki and Andrew McCutchen, who all went in the top 11 picks -- but his knees went, and he hit just 14 home runs in the majors.


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Mythology Manual - Gaia: A Well-Grounded Goddess
While usually understated, the Greek goddess Gaia has impacted the overall mythic landscape of Final Fantasy, having been a familiar presence with the franchise from the very first game in some form. At the most basic level, various Earth element aligned items and abilities invoking Gaia stress her control over nature (although many, including Gaia Gear, Drum, and Hammer, are only branded with 'Gaia' in English localisations). It is as a location and character that she fully blossoms. This article shall explore how Gaia took root and grew in the Final Fantasy franchise.
Earth to Gaia: Origins
In classical mythology Gaia, or Ge, is a primordial earth goddess (her name literally meaning 'earth/land'). Being self-delivered as one of the first entities in existence, Gaia plays a critical role in ancient Greek foundation myths: from her the world and most of its inhabitants trace their origin (Hesiod, Theogony:117-118; Homeric Hymn 30). When it comes to the gods and their genealogies, including Gaia's story, the 8th-7th century BC poet Hesiod's account became the more recognisable standard, but it was not the only tradition circulating (Homer deviated from Hesiod on various points). Hesiod has Uranus and Gaia as the first generation of gods. Their children, the Titans, became the second after their leader Cronus castrated their father. The Olympian gods worshipped as rulers by ancient Greeks were, largely, Gaia's grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who overthrew the Titans and established Zeus on the throne. Gaia is actively involved throughout these transitions, but aside from setting her children against the Olympians in a succession of wars, she subsequently takes a step back and mostly blends into the background.
Typically, Gaia is depicted in ancient art as an anthropomorphic woman, usually rising from the earth to defend her children, or to deliver the baby Erichthonius/Erechtheus to Athena to nurse. In text she is frequently considered as a representation of the solid ground which forms the habitable part of the earth itself (Hesiod, Theogony:126-128, 176-178; Nonnus, Dionysiaca:2.553-556, 636-650). Gaia's intimate familiarity with the environment afforded her the gift of prophecy. Not only did she frequently warn other gods of their ruin, but she was, according to some traditions, the original overseer of the Oracle of Delphi before Apollo (Pindar, Pythian Odes:4.74; Aeschylus, Eumenides:1-19).
Left, Gaia rising from the earth worrying about her son, a Gigas/Giant, on an Attic red-figure calyx-krater attributed
to the Pronomos Painter, 425-375 BC, held in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, Italy.
Right, Gaia with Erichthonius/Erectheus on an Attic red-figure hydria attributed
to the Oinanthe Painter, 470-460 BC, held in the British Museum, London.
Mother Earth: Spawn Point
There are ample reasons to honour Gaia with the title 'Mother Earth', the one responsible for nature itself. She is, essentially, the mother of all mothers.
Without sexual union, Gaia brought into existence her future consorts Uranus (the sky) and Pontus (the sea) as well as the Ourea (mountains) to form the habitable world (Hesiod, Theogony:126-132). Coupled with Uranus, Gaia bore various children, notably the twelve core Titans (featuring, crucially, Cronus and his sister-consort Rhea), the Cyclopes, and Hecatoncheires or 'hundred-handed-ones' (Hesiod, Theogony:133-155; Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound:207; Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library:1.1-3; Diodorus Siculus, Library:5.66). Through her relationship with Pontus, Gaia bore an assortment of sea deities (Hesiod, Theogony:233-239; Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library:1.2.6).
From the blood of the castrated Uranus dripped onto the earth, Gaia further spawned the Gigantes/Giants, Erinyes/Furies, Meliae/ash-tree nymphs, amongst others (Hesiod, Theogony:184-187; Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library:1.4). Many other beings were imagined emerging from the earth itself.
Children of the Earth.
This diagram offers a summary of the plethora of beings attributed to Gaia over millennia of embellishments.
The references listed cite alternative traditions which are not found in the more well-known Hesiodic account.
Included are Gaia's direct children only, not her grandchildren or further relations.
In Greek traditions Gaia is presented as mourning, defending, or avenging the killing or mistreatment of her offspring, frequently shifting her allegiances against whomever threatens her children next. Whilst she inspired the Titans' revolt against Uranus (to avenge his imprisonment of the Hecatoncheires), she is also described helping Rhea hide Zeus from his child-eating father Cronus (Hesiod, Theogony:463-491,492-500; Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library:1.1.5-7). Gaia helped Zeus secure his victory advising the release of the Hecatoncheires (Hesiod, Theogony:617-623, 881-885) only to turn against Zeus in anger at the Olympians' treatment of the Titans, and so set the monstrous Gigantes against him (Bacchylides, Dithyrambs:15.63-64; Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library:1.6.1-2). While Gaia initially aids Zeus in retaining his kingly power by advising his swallowing of his pregnant lover Metis to prevent the birth of a prophesied usurper (Hesiod, Theogony:886-900), in revenge for slaying the Gigantes, Gaia also births the greatest threat to Zeus' supremacy he ever faced: Typhoeus/Typhon (Hesiod, Theogony:821-868; Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound:353-375; Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library:1.6.3; Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses:28).
Whilst Gaia showed concern for the fate of her children, she was not above spawning monsters specifically as weapons of war against particular foes. To aid the Gigantes she spawns a gorgon purely for battle (Euripides, Ion:989-996). Likewise, in some accounts, when Orion boasts about being stronger than any animal, Gaia sends a giant scorpion after him (Pseudo-Eratsothenes, Constellations:32; Pseudo-Hyginus, Astronomica:2.26.2). In so doing, Gaia might embody how nature is simultaneously beautiful and dangerous: neither good nor bad.
Gaia, bottom right, rising from the earth in panic at the Olympians' killing of the Gigantes.
The goddess showcases strong mothering instincts for her monstrous children.
Frieze from the Pergamon Altar, 2nd century BC, held at Pergamon Museum, Berlin.
Image by Sailko.
Terra Firma: Gaia the Place
Whilst mostly remembered as a recurring planet setting in a variety of Final Fantasy storylines, Gaia first appears as the name of a town in the original Final Fantasy. Gaia is a secluded, idyllic settlement offering lush grass and a forest surrounded by mountains.
Referred to as Summit Town in some materials (including Ultimania Archive Volume 1),
this unassuming village is Final Fantasy's first rendition of Gaia.
The town itself is interwoven within a forest, emphasising its natural beauty.
The town's most memorable landmark is a spring inhabited by a fairy. This fairy has been captured by an opportunistic pirate and sold on the black market. When the player buys the enslaved fairy and returns her to the spring of Gaia, her liberator is rewarded with Oxyale (water from the bottom of the spring, enabling underwater breathing).
If we were to exchange fairies for nymphs (minor nature goddesses), the spring of Gaia could better harmonise with Greek mythology. Fairies sometimes fill the same mythological niche as nymphs. Gaia's connection is fair: nymphs were connected with all of nature's beauty spots, and in rustic cults nymphs sometimes accompanied Gaia (Pausanias, Description of Greece:1.31.4). Additionally, not only does Hesiod credit Gaia with forming the mountain haunts of nymphs, but conceived from the blood of the castrated Uranus he has Gaia deliver the Meliae, ash-tree nymphs (Hesiod, Theogony:187).
Right, Hylas and the Nymphs by J.W. Waterhouse (1896), held in Manchester Art Gallery.
In myth, the Argonaut Hylas is pulled into a pool by infatuated naiads (freshwater nymphs) where he remains (Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica:1221-1325).
Final Fantasy I's fairy, left, draws sacred water from her pool enabling the player to breathe underwater, albeit without dooming them.
Nymphs embodied many facets of nature (including springs, trees, caves, and meadows).
If Gaia represents the earth as a whole, the nymphs characterise her individual localised aspects.
A healing spring can also be found in Final Fantasy VII at Gaea's Cliff,
further associating Gaia with natural springs.
When Gaia is named as a location within a Final Fantasy planet, it is curiously also associated with chasms. The town Gaia in Final Fantasy I, enclosed in a mountain range, is accessible only by airship. Final Fantasy VII's Gaea's Cliff (Gaea being an alternative transliteration of the goddess) is a dangerous valley located near the Northern Crater.
In Greek mythology the sky-god Uranus, after enveloping Gaia and mating with her, was so disgusted by their monstrous spawn, the Hecatoncheires, that he pushed them deep into the earth (Hesiod, Theogony:155). Figuratively, this is popularly imagined as Uranus forcing them back into the womb from which they were born.
By accessing Final Fantasy I's town Gaia through the sky, the player emulates Uranus. Likewise, the cosmic entity Jenova (named the 'Calamity from the Skies' by the Ancients/Cetra) had crashed into the Final Fantasy VII Planet in the region where Gaea's Cliff is located. This collision, creating a pit-like wound, is analogous to Uranus' mating with Gaia in mythology and their tumultuous relationship. Through Jenova 'mating' with the Planet/Gaia, the resulting spawned monsters (both the Jenova mutations and the Weapons created by the Planet in self-defence) might be compared with Gaia and Uranus' eccentric offspring (M.J. Gallagher independently arrived at a similar interpretation in a recent blog post). The 'blood' of the mutilated Jenova/Uranus eventually makes its way into Shinra's experiments, whereas the Weapons were kept underground until needed by the Planet.
Top left, Gaia on the world map, Final Fantasy I PSP version. Gaia's inhabitants are surprised to see the player,
correctly deducing that they must have an airship. They also converse about an ancient race called the Sky Warriors who once
roamed the skies in flying fortresses. Their descendants, the contemporary but no less mysterious Lufenians, are earthbound
after their ancestors were overthrown (emasculated, we might muse). Gaia has experience with 'Uranus' here.
Right, Gaea's Cliff in Final Fantasy VII, near to where Jenova crashed into the Planet in antiquity, creating a huge wound.
In myth, Gaia spawned a variety of monsters with the sky god Uranus, either through sexual union or by receiving his blood.
The dormant Weapon entities, held within the Planet, may also emulate the deep imprisonment of the Hecatoncheires (and later the Titans).
Bottom left, a deep chasm also appears in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, as an access point to where
the spirit of the planet Earth (known as Gaia) is exposed to the naked eye.
The Blue Marble: Gaia the Planet
Not all Final Fantasies provide a name for the world in which their plots take place. Most planets of the earlier games are granted placeholder labels only in extraneous materials. Named planets only became the norm after Final Fantasy IX. Curiously, a name which has been reused is Gaia.
The most prominent planet Gaia is the setting of Final Fantasy IX. Under the android Garland's caretakership, the population of the dying planet Terra had attempted to merge the two planets five thousand years prior to the game's beginning, permanently altering Gaia's surface. Terra is a Roman equivalent to the Greek goddess Gaia, thus a relevant name for the planet which attempted to appropriate the world of Gaia.
A map of Gaia, Final Fantasy IX.
One of the first cases of a true named planet in the franchise. Like our own planet, Gaia includes a mix of biomes,
with the additional twist that the health of the planet and its lifecycle is tied to its soul-crystal at the planet's core.
Final Fantasy VII has a less stable relationship with the term Gaia. In the original game's text the world is known simply as 'the Planet'. In addition to the aforementioned Gaea's Cliff, fans periodically utilise Gaia as a label for the planet itself. Additionally, it is the term favoured by authors in works published about Final Fantasy VII and its themes (see, for example, the various authors in Anthony M. Bean's The Psychology of Final Fantasy, 2020, and Jason P. Blahuta and Michel S. Beaulieu's Final Fantasy and Philosophy, 2009, and M. J. Gallagher in Norse Myths that Inspired Final Fantasy VII, 2020). The rich world of Final Fantasy VII indeed deserves the more attractive identifier Gaia above the placeholder moniker 'Planet'. As Shademp at The Lifestream.net notes, Final Fantasy VII's Planet was first called Gaia in Square Enix's English language pamphlet at the 2004 Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3), promoting the sequel film Advent Children. A number of other English language Square Enix produced materials have since embraced the term.
Be it in name or in spirit, Gaia is present in Final Fantasy VII.
Left, the Platinum trophy in PlayStation 4's port of Final Fantasy VII, named 'Gaia's Guardian' in English.
Right, notebook merchandise including a spread of the map of the Planet.
In the North American product description the world is, once again, called Gaia.
Additionally, in the English translation of the spin-off game All the Bravest, the Final Fantasy VII-inspired Ultimate Weapon
is described being gifted its wings by Gaia. The name Gaia has resonated with the North American
branch's marketing department, and the popular consciousness.
The timing of Square Enix's E3 2004 promotion followed the surge of popularity in the name 'Gaia' in other Final Fantasy releases in the preceding years (Final Fantasy IX, 2000, and the film Final Fantasy: Spirits Within, 2001). Inevitably Gaia was in the North American marketing team's consciousness at that time. With both Final Fantasy IX and Spirits Within entertaining the concept of a 'living planet', it is easy to see how this association might have occurred naturally. Final Fantasy VII places unignorable emphasis on the Planet being a giant, inter-connected, living organism.
Spirit of the Planet: Lovelock's Gaia Hypothesis
A recurring theme within the Final Fantasy franchise is the idea that the planet of a particular game is in some way alive, sometimes semi-sentient. Even when Gaia is not namedropped, many games in the franchise are concerned with keeping the planet's ecosystem balanced through sustaining the flow of life within the planet itself and/or restoring elemental crystals (a trope we can trace to the franchise's inception). In Final Fantasy IX, where the primary planet is named Gaia, the planet's crystal core is the living source of life on the planet itself but is held hostage by the interfering alien world Terra. Gaia's indigenous souls are unnaturally pumped out onto the surface, polluting the planet with Mist and creating monsters. In Final Fantasy VII, ecological concerns are especially central to the plot. The Cosmo Canyon Elders, including Bugenhagen, are notable 'Planetologists' who recognise that their Planet (which we may also call Gaia) is, in fact, alive. It feels pain. It reacts to defend itself. It even 'cries'. The Lifestream (composed of the spirit energy of the deceased) could be likened to blood and neural networks. The Shinra Electric Power Company's greed in pumping up the mako (liquefied Lifestream) to generate electricity compels the ecoterrorist organisation AVALANCHE to fight to defend the only planet they have.
While the goddess Gaia, since Hesiod, has been envisioned as encompassing the Earth itself, her cosmic application has developed in modern times. British scientist James Lovelock (1919-present) appropriated and made very effective use of the goddess in titling his Gaia hypothesis. As described by Lexico/Oxford English Dictionary this proposes that, "living matter on the earth collectively defines and regulates the material conditions necessary for the continuance of life. The planet, or rather the biosphere, is thus likened to a vast self-regulating organism."
The idea formed whilst Lovelock (alongside C.E. Giffin) worked as a consultant with NASA scientists as they theorised how to recognise life-harbouring planets. Lovelock credits his neighbour at the time, novelist and poet William Golding (most popularly remembered as the author of Lord of the Flies), for suggesting the name of the Greek mother earth goddess for his hypothesis. The theory was developed further, in collaboration with microbiologist Lynn Margulis, in articles published throughout the 1970s. The multiple books Lovelock published over the following decades popularised the hypothesis for public consumption and was influential in the ecologically-minded 'green movements'.
The real Bugenhagen. James Lovelock in his Dorset garden next to a modern statue of Gaia. Photo by Bruno Comby.
While Final Fantasy VII's Planetology scholar Bugenhagen was named after the Protestant Reformationist
Johannes Bugenhagen (1485-1558), he perhaps better echoes James Lovelock. At 101 years old (and still publishing),
Lovelock has more than ecological concerns in common with Cosmo Canyon's wise sage.
AVALANCHE's sentiments (though not their violent methods) are also rooted in green movements' environmental worries,
and the real-life hypothesis has inspired green-politics activists.
The Gaia hypothesis is popular in Japan, perhaps because it resonates with traditional Japanese philosophical notions of natural balance and the nature-centric Shinto religion. In Love Will Grow (1995), an album of Final Fantasy vocal arrangements, the song which gives voice to the Main Theme of Final Fantasy I is titled 'Gaia'. Whilst possibly also referencing the aforementioned town in that game, the song's lyrics and the album's liner notes imply Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis was an inspiration for the song's themes. Independently, a separate vocalist on the album, Risa Okhi, also relates "I hear that the Earth is a single lifeform.[..] Lives grow and evolve[...] We change, learn something out of the change, and change again; with Earth and the Universe."
We should bear in mind that musicians collaborating with Nobuo Uematsu on a vocal collection were themselves inhabiting a different world to the scenario-writers of Final Fantasy. Nevertheless, it is fascinating how freely the Gaia hypothesis has circulated amongst the creators connected with the franchise. The idea seems important to the mythos of Final Fantasy across multiple departments.
Square Enix employ an imaginatively adapted form of Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis in the film Spirits Within where it is explicitly namedropped, albeit without reference to Lovelock himself. Instead, the theory is presented as the brainchild of Dr. Sid and is central to the film's plot. In stark contrast to Lovelock's metaphorical usage, Spirits Within takes the Gaia hypothesis very literally. Here, Gaia is the actual semi-sentient spirit/soul of Earth. Sid's theory posits that the spiritual energy of all deceased organisms rejoin Gaia, which promptly learns and evolves. Gaia is even visible, represented by a blue glow. Considering that the film's plot is set in an imagined future of our Earth (2060), and that it therefore lacks Final Fantasy staples such as chocobos, Gaia's presence is notable for being one of the few recognisable 'Final Fantasy' elements within that film, fresh off the back of Gaia's relevance in Final Fantasy IX.
Dr. Sid's journal notes before he destroys them out of concerns that New New York's authorities could
prosecute him for his bold ideas. Indeed, the council's spirited argument against Dr. Sid could be
comparable to Lovelock's sceptical critics amongst the scientific community.
Whilst still presented as a scientific argument, Final Fantasy's Gaia hypothesis puts some of the goddess back into the term,
dramatically differentiating it from Lovelock. We need not assume that Square have misinterpreted Lovelock's hypothesis,
rather than reimagined it for a fantasy setting.
That Lovelock initially had cosmic applications in mind whilst developing the Gaia hypothesis is worth emphasising. The other prominent plotline in Spirits Within concerns a collision of worlds: Phantoms from an unspecified destroyed planet crash-land onto Earth on a Leonid meteor. This alien rock contains a faint essence of the alien world's Gaia/soul, and the Phantoms' presence immediately pollutes the spirit of Earth. This is curiously reminiscent of not only Final Fantasy IX's Terra's disruptive partial-merger with Gaia, but also the arrival of Jenova on a meteor 2,000 years before Final Fantasy VII, and this alien's interruption of the Planet/Gaia's local Lifestream. The Final Fantasy VII Planet even has self-regulating systems (diverting energy to heal the wound, causing the Knowlespole region to enter a permafrost) and defence systems, including Weapons (bio-mechanical monsters created to combat the alien threat). These fit not only the hypothesis but the Greek Gaia's spawning of monsters for war. Furthermore Spirits Within's villain, General Hein, fires a weapon called the Zeus Cannon in an attempt to destroy the alien meteor/crater, just as Shinra authorises its mako-powered Sister Ray to be fired upon the Northern Crater housing the legacy of the alien Jenova (Sephiroth). This may simulate the god Zeus smiting with his thunderbolts the Titans and Gigantes (beings resulting from the tumultuous collision of Gaia and Uranus). That Square Enix has afforded Gaia prominence in plotlines with a cosmic arena and extra-terrestrial threats combined with a mythical spirit is, therefore, felicitous.
Left, Dr. Aki Ross (Dr. Sid's colleague) observing a model of the spirit of Earth's Gaia meeting the spiritual mass/Gaia of the mysterious alien Phantom world.
This resembles both the arrival of Final Fantasy VII's Jenova (with the alien's interruption of the Planet's local Lifestream) and Final Fantasy IX's
partial-merger of the planet Terra with Gaia, right, which left a permanent mark on Gaia's surface and disrupted its lifecycle.
In Spirits Within, the colour red/orange represents the alien world's Gaia-spirit, blue the Earth's Gaia-spirit.
A similar colour scheme is used in Final Fantasy IX to distinguish the crystal cores of Gaia and Terra. Final Fantasy VII's Lifestream
also has an opposing extra-terrestrial counterpart: the Negative Lifestream composed of Jenova particles.
Unearthing Gaia's Humanity
Until now, Final Fantasy's references to Gaia have been in the geographical form or spirit of Gaia, but not the humanoid representations of ancient art. It could be tempting to count Final Fantasy VI's Terra Branford as an exception (her name being the aforementioned Roman equivalent of Gaia), however this is only true for the English localisation; in the original Japanese the character is known as Tina. Therefore, the franchise's first true representation of Gaia as an anthropomorphic character only emerged recently, during patch content for Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers. She is utilised to consolidate the various themes already discussed about Gaia as a planet.
Left, Terra Branford in Final Fantasy VI. Right, Gaia in Final Fantasy XIV.
Both characters overcome manipulative mind-control and reinvent their identities.
Ted Woolsey (Final Fantasy VI's English translator) chose the name Terra since the original Tina was unpopular with play testers.
His choice suits: Terra is half-Esper (magical beings resembling deities and mythical beasts), her in-game sprite form's exotic green hair
could be made to reflect earthy themes, and she does become a 'mother figure' at the end of her arc.
A more obscure exception: the card Gaia in Mobius Final Fantasy as a cosmic humanoid entity between
two planets (including an Earth-like planet), surrounded by a retinue of winged humanoid beings.
The world of the First had for a hundred years been left ravaged by the Flood of Light which had spread to engulf the majority of the planet. In Shadowbringers' Eden raid storyline, after ending the Flood in the main campaign, the player and companions investigate a lifeless desert known as 'The Empty'. In this wasteland drained of all aether, the only detectable object is a solitary, slumbering lifeform.
Upon awakening, this lifeform is revealed to be Eden (sharing both name and appearance with the Guardian Force of Final Fantasy VIII). The First's Eden is the original Sin Eater and the root cause of the Flood of Light itself a century ago. This machine-like creature can be operated from within using Ryne's authority as the Oracle of Light. Upon learning of Eden's ability to alter the elemental aether in its environment, Ryne and company decide to use it to restore balance to all elements, allowing life to flourish again. Whilst thus occupied the party is aided by a mysterious, young Hume woman: Gaia.
Blinded by the Light. The Sin Eater Eden, the original cause of the Flood of Light, at rest in the Empty.
While the Flood itself has ended, all elemental aether in the Empty remains replaced with Light, meaning that
nothing exists but a snow-like powdery crystal substance on which nothing can grow.
Contact with this location slowly drains the aether from anybody who dares to explore.
There remain faint traces of elemental aether waiting to be rekindled. To accomplish this, the player must defeat elemental
Primals conjured by Ryne from the player's memories. In addition to immediate environmental changes in the Empty,
a visual symbol is present as a crystal near the campsite which changes colours to reflect the party's progress.
At times, Gaia possesses a good instinct for determining which element to restore next
during the questline, hinting at an environmental affinity.
Attracted like a moth to Eden's Light, Gaia is initially encountered as she attacks the party when Ryne gains control over Eden for the first time. Gaia has the power to open portals to the Thirteenth Shard (the world which was consumed by Darkness and became the Void). Drawing from the Void, the mysterious woman conjures beings as weapons of war, suiting her mythological counterpart as a spawner of monsters. It is swiftly deduced that the defeated lady must be the Oracle of Darkness: an elemental opposite to Ryne, the Oracle of Light.
Gaia in armour attacking the party in the guise of the 'Voidwalker'. During this battle she is accompanied by Voidsent sharing their names
with other primordial entities prominent at the beginning of creation in Greek mythology. Gaia summons multiple incarnations of
Nyx (named after the embodiment of Night) and the 'Hand of Erebos' (named after Nyx's consort, the embodiment of Darkness).
That both Nyx and Erebus were described by Hesiod as emerging from Chaos (nothingness) at approximately the
same time as Gaia emerged on her own makes their identity as Voidsent especially appropriate.
After falling unconscious in her attack against the party, Gaia is taken to their camp. When the lady awakes she suffers from amnesia, remembering only fragmentary details of a life she had lived in Eulmore. Her name, Gaia, she only learned from a 'faerie' she claims whispers in her head, and that this 'faerie' had taken over her, causing her assault. Recovering her wits, Gaia decides to help the party and get her memory back.
Right, Gaia reclining attended by personifications of agricultural bounty on a mosaic from Roman Antioch,
4th century AD, held at Hatay Archaeology Museum, Antakya.
While earlier Greek art depicts Gaia as a worried, protective mother, Roman art frequently
shifts emphasis to Gaia as a goddess of bountiful plenty.
This mosaic has some arbitrary resemblance to the Shadowbringers character, left, but this is presumably coincidental
as the sullen look was commonplace in ancient art. Rather fittingly, the current incarnation of Gaia was born in
Eulmore: a city of earthly pleasures where fatalistic hedonism had turned the city into a dystopia.
In addition to Tetsuya Nomura's gloomy character design, the Shadowbringers character has a cold, impatient, moody temperament reflecting her inner turmoil, which is softened during the questline by her relationship with Ryne. This perhaps mimics the Greek Gaia's shifting allegiances.
During critical moments, Gaia discovers that she can conjure a hammer out of thin air. This works as a throwback to the recurring weapon in the Final Fantasy franchise, Gaia Hammer or Earth Hammer, which causes Earth damage. Perhaps the closest Greek mythological foundation for this could be the forge god Hephaestus' presence at the conception and birth of Erichthonius/Erechtheus from the earth/Gaia. This allusion, if intended, is incompletely forged.
Due to her memory loss, Gaia is just as astonished as the party about her instinctive summoning of a hammer.
She uses it to successfully smash free Ryne from an encasement of Light-aspected ice after
Ryne's summoning of Shiva almost caused a second Flood of Light.
Gaia delivering the baby Athenian ancestor hero, Erichthonius/Erechtheus, to Athena. The male figure on the left is identified as Hephaestus.
From an Attic red-figure stamnos, approximately 460 BC, held at Staatliche Antikensammlungen, Munich.
By the Classical period Erichthonius and Erechtheus were considered separate figures (grandfather and grandson),
but in earlier sources, Homer included, they were indistinguishable.
Sometimes the autochthonous Erichthonius/Erechtheus was a direct child of Gaia
(Homer, Iliad:2.548, Odyssey:7.324, 11.576; Euripides, Ion:20, 260-282).
Alternatively, Hephaestus' rebuffed copulation with Athena saw his seed impregnate the earth
(Pseudo-Eratosthenes, Constellations:13; Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library:3.14.6;
Pausanias, Description of Greece:1.2.6; Hyginus, Fabulae:166).
Oracle of Darkness: Gaia the Ancient
When the 'faerie' in Gaia's head is revealed to be her old friend Mitron, her true identity crops up. It transpires that Gaia is in fact a sundered Ascian who held the seat and title of 'Loghrif'. Aeons before contemporary lifeforms, when there existed a complete Star, a race of perfect beings, the Ancients, governed their utopia planet living communal, mutually beneficial lives. When their perfect world was sundered in the cosmic conflict between Hydaelyn and Zodiark, the planet and the souls of most of its inhabitants were fractured into shards: inferior copies of what had been a wonderful whole.
The Ascians are those Ancients who remained, or regained, cognizance of their heritage. Most seek to reassemble the fractured world into a complete whole, with their sacrificed friends restored to life. The top tier of Ascian are the Unsundered who survived the Sundering intact without ever losing themselves or their memories (this class includes Emet-Selch, Elidibus and Lahabrea). Other Ascians, who had been sundered, were instead repeatedly reincarnated, requiring other Ascians to restore their Ancient memories. Loghrif/Gaia and Mitron fit this secondary category. Before the Star's Sundering, as Ancients, the pair had served the Convocation in their capital Amaurot. Gaia/Loghrif (mirroring her mythological counterpart as an earth goddess and protector) was originally intended to become the vessel for Zodiark to save the Star, before Elidibus fulfilled that task as the emissary. After the Sundering, over millennia, Gaia and Mitron lived multiple mortal lives and had to be continuously reawoken to their Ascian identities and purpose.
"It's a small world after all."
Gaia/Loghrif and Mitron in a flashback after finding each other and remembering their Ancient/Amaurotine selves, again, with the help of Emet-Selch.
The current Gaia is in a transitionary state between forgetting her contemporary Eulmorian mortal life and rediscovering her Ascian/Ancient heritage.
Being an Ancient, Gaia/Loghrif could compare favourably with the mythological Gaia being a primordial being,
since the only entity to pre-exist Gaia was Chaos (Hesiod, Theogony:117-118).
This is reflected in the Final Fantasy character's Dark/Ascian affiliation.
In ancient mythic traditions, Gaia was the original presider over the Oracle of Delphi before losing her seat to Apollo
(Pindar, Pythian Odes:4.74; Aeschylus, Eumenides:1-19; Pausanias, Description of Greece:10.5.5; Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae:140).
Gaia/Loghrif, as an 'Oracle of Darkness', and also an Ascian whose original purpose
was passed onto another, Elidibus, sits comfortably here.
As a close partnership, Gaia/Loghrif and Mitron were not averse to fusing into one being: an Ascian Prime. Together, a hundred years ago, they had terrorised the First. In a climactic confrontation, the First's Warrior of Light, Ardbert, split the Ascian Prime with a blade of pure Light in a well-intentioned attempt to eradicate Darkness. That incarnation of Gaia/Loghrif perished while Mitron was trapped in a prison of light, Eden, becoming the first Sin Eater and, in a panic to shed the light engulfing him, emitted an all-consuming wave of Light, causing the Flood.
After a hundred years apart from Mitron, it is Gaia's current incarnation that the party encounter, reborn in human flesh in contemporary Eulmore. Mitron, trapped within Eden, had watched Gaia's life of amnesiac freedom green with envy. When the player restored night to the First's sky, ending the Flood, Mitron's prison's grip loosened enough for him to exert greater influence over Gaia's mind. As the 'faerie' in her head, Mitron hinted at Gaia's identity and cause as an Ancient/Ascian. Mitron further takes advantage of Gaia's efforts to rejuvenate the Empty, since realigning the elements weakens the prison of light binding him to Eden.
Gaia's 'faerie' at the party's waterside campsite. The voice in Gaia's head, the Ascian Mitron, is described by the young woman as her 'faerie'.
This may allude to the town named Gaia in Final Fantasy I where the town's local pool was haunted
by a fairy which was trapped, just like Mitron within Eden.
Following Final Fantasy XIV's internal logic, Mitron probably pretends to be a fairy in order to blend in.
The Fae are acknowledged creatures in the world of the First. They have their own country, Il Mheg,
and are known to appear to mortals in their dreams.
Mitron intends to use Eden to create a timeless utopia where he can be with Loghrif/Gaia for eternity. He fails to recognise the value in Gaia's contemporary, mortal experience, having lost Amaurot aeons ago. Whilst Gaia rebuffs Mitron, preferring her current life to her aeons-old true Gaia/Loghrif identity, he still manages to control her, forcing them to combine once more into an Ascian Prime. With Mitron's memories merging with Gaia's, the young woman's memories of Ryne and the party begin to fade. From within, Gaia attempts to fight against the Ascian/Loghrif aspect of her identity and keep hold of her new mortal incarnation. This tug-of-war with Gaia's memories mirrors the inconsistencies present in myth: retellings by different minds in different locales and times lead to varied traditions.
Eyes on Ge: An Insidious Idol
The Greek goddess Gaia was sometimes syncretised with other goddesses (including the Titaness Rhea and the Anatolian mother goddess Cybele). Gaia's Final Fantasy counterpart experiences the same fate. When Mitron and a bewitched Loghrif/Gaia merge into an Ascian Prime to face the player, they take on another form: Eden's Promise. Sporting strange bulbous protrusions on its chest, this figure is strongly reminiscent of the ancient cult statue of Artemis at Ephesus.
An Asican Prime wasn't even their final form.
Left, Eden's Promise. Right, a Roman copy of the statue of Artemis from the
Temple of Ephesus, held in the Vatican Museums (photo by Wknight94).
The original xoanon (wooden cult image) is long lost. Later copies of the statue in marble or alabaster,
many retaining rigid, Archaic poses, offer some insight into its general appearance
(albeit also introducing anachronistic contemporary features).
Ephesus was an ancient Greek coastal city in Ionia, Asia Minor (modern day Turkey's west coast). The Temple of Artemis (or Artemision), on which construction began in 550 BC, was destroyed by a fame-seeking arsonist, Herostratus, in 356 BC and subsequently reconstructed on an even grander scale. The Artemision was widely celebrated for its grandeur throughout antiquity. Its inclusion in lists of the Wonders of the Ancient World secured its immortal fame in the public consciousness (Antipater of Sidon, Greek Anthology:9.58; Philo of Byzantium, On The Seven Wonders:6).
The Ephesian cult figure served as a city-protectress, but has also been regarded as a mother goddess. A closer look at Eden's Promise's appearance reveals striking similarities.
Eden's Promise introduces a tree atop its fortress crown, presumably reinforcing a representation of Gaia as the earth itself. The skin of Eden's Promise blends in with the bark which additionally fits as the original cult statue was made of wood.
The most immediately distracting feature of the Ephesian Artemis are the myriad oval objects,
often interpreted as multiple breasts: suitable equipment for a fertile 'mother goddess'.
Disparaging Early Christian writers started or perpetuated this view
(Minucius Felix, Octavius:21; Jerome, Commentary on Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians).
Many modern scholars are no longer convinced and propose they may represent: bulls testicles; eggs;
amber decorations (matching those discovered in deposits of an earlier Archaic temple);
pollen sacs celebrating Ephesus' apiculture industry, and more.
The appearance of such attachments on the original statue were then rendered
in the marble copies and obscured.
Gaia/Loghrif and Mitron's combined form sports a golden disc behind the shoulders bedecked with figures of winged lions.
This cleverly mimics the Ephesian Artemis' winged lions on her own disc whilst also recalling the
memorable leonine Sin Eater type (Forgiven Reticence) in Shadowbringers.
The boss's head wears fortified walls as a headpiece, resembling the mural crown of some copies of the Ephesian Artemis.
This motif (presenting Artemis as a protective city deity) is also seen adorning the head of some depictions of the Anatolian goddess Cybele,
with whom some believe Artemis was assimilated at Ephesus.
Whilst lacking the rigid, Archaic-style pose of its statue counterpart's legs, Eden's Promise's lower half is not entirely lacking in allusions.
The bees which decorate bronze cages (forming the creature's thighs) match the bees seen on some of the Ephesian statue's copies
promoting the city's beekeeping reputation. In the context of Gaia, we might also remember the Meliae (ash-tree nymphs
sometimes characterised as honey nymphs), but the general association with nature remains present regardless.
Titan-like humanoids in Atlas poses (a recurring pose for Final Fantasy Titans) are contained within the cage-thighs.
We might take these to represent the Titans imprisoned by Zeus within Tartarus after their defeat in the Titanomachy.
The most immediately distracting feature of the Ephesian Artemis are the myriad oval objects,
often interpreted as multiple breasts: suitable equipment for a fertile 'mother goddess'.
Disparaging Early Christian writers started or perpetuated this view
(Minucius Felix, Octavius:21; Jerome, Commentary on Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians).
Many modern scholars are no longer convinced and propose they may represent: bulls testicles; eggs;
amber decorations (matching those discovered in deposits of an earlier Archaic temple);
pollen sacs celebrating Ephesus' apiculture industry, and more.
The appearance of such attachments on the original statue were then rendered
in the marble copies and obscured.
Gaia/Loghrif and Mitron's combined form sports a golden disc behind the shoulders bedecked with figures of winged lions.
This cleverly mimics the Ephesian Artemis' winged lions on her own disc whilst also recalling the
memorable leonine Sin Eater type (Forgiven Reticence) in Shadowbringers.
The boss's head wears fortified walls as a headpiece, resembling the mural crown of some copies of the Ephesian Artemis.
This motif (presenting Artemis as a protective city deity) is also seen adorning the head of some depictions of the Anatolian goddess Cybele,
with whom some believe Artemis was assimilated at Ephesus.
Whilst lacking the rigid, Archaic-style pose of its statue counterpart's legs, Eden's Promise's lower half is not entirely lacking in allusions.
The bees which decorate bronze cages (forming the creature's thighs) match the bees seen on some of the Ephesian statue's copies
promoting the city's beekeeping reputation. In the context of Gaia, we might also remember the Meliae (ash-tree nymphs
sometimes characterised as honey nymphs), but the general association with nature remains present regardless.
Titan-like humanoids in Atlas poses (a recurring pose for Final Fantasy Titans) are contained within the cage-thighs.
We might take these to represent the Titans imprisoned by Zeus within Tartarus after their defeat in the Titanomachy.
Also enhancing the Ephesian angle, Eden's Promise summons a series of living stone statues to their aid: Lissom Sculptures (winged women), Chiseled Sculptures (Titan-like men), and Beastly Sculptures (lions). Generally, all possess vaguely classical aesthetics, but specifically lions accompany many marble copies of the Artemision statue and winged Victories are also associated with some late renditions of the sculpture.
Why connect Gaia and Mitron with the Artemision statue and cult? The Ascian Mitron's real Ancient name is revealed to be Artemis, ancient Greek goddess of the hunt, moon, and childbirth, amongst other attributes.
The Ascians Mitron and Loghrif at work a century ago on the moon, a favourite Ascian haunt. For Mitron/Artemis,
there is additional religious relevance considering the broader goddess Artemis' (and Roman Diana's)
occasional identification as a moon goddess.
In cosmic terms, Gaia's partnership with Artemis is parallel to the Earth's
inseparable relationship with the Moon.
Mitron/Artemis unmasked.
Mitron's identity as Artemis implies that the Ancients can transcend the traditional
genders attributed to the deities which inspired them.
There is, however, franchise precedence for this. The recurring stripey moogle Artemicion, also male, shares the same etymological root.
Whether this furry messenger, bottom right, relates to Artemis, the Battle of Artemisium (480 BC),
or the 'Artemision Bronze' (a Classical bronze statue of Zeus, or Poseidon, recovered from a shipwreck),
or none of the above, remains kupo-confusing.
Gaia's relevance is less direct. The Ephesian goddess featured in the Artemision was identified by the Ionian Greek colonisers as Artemis, but also incorporated characteristics and physical attributes of local Anatolian mother goddesses (including Cybele, although scholars continue to debate this). Unlike typical representations of Artemis (who aided childbirth but was herself celebrated for her virginity), mother goddesses represented fertility and nature/earth.
Left, Rhea-Cybele, riding a lion on an Attic red-figure kylix fragment, Late 5th century BC, held at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Right, Statue of Cybele from Ostia, approximately AD 200-300, held at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (photo by Marco Prins).
Ancient Greeks sometimes associated Cybele with the Greek Rhea (the Titan mother of the Olympian gods).
Cybele is usually accompanied by lions, a symbol of her power over nature, an attribute shared by Artemis in her very ancient guise
as Potnia Theron ('Mistress of Animals'). Both Rhea and Cybele were also sometimes combined with Gaia.
According to Greek renderings of Phrygian myths (an Anatolian civilisation), Agdistis (frequently interpreted as a form of Cybele) initially had hermaphroditic qualities until the gods cut off their phallus out of fear of Agdistis-Cybele's power (Pausanias, Description of Greece:7.17.8-11). We could compare this with Mitron and Gaia's merger into an Ascian Prime, and the Ephesian Artemis-inspired Eden's Promise entity, and their eventual separation. Primarily, however, we are witness to a commentary on the complex syncretism of religions. As Artemis merged with local Ephesian goddesses, Mitron/Artemis merged with Loghrif/Gaia at Eden: two entities within one.
Gaia/Loghrif and Artemis/Mitron's combined manifestation as the Ephesian Artemis transcends even these mythological associations. Considering the wider Final Fantasy mythos, Eden's Promise doubles as a meta-reference to Final Fantasy VIII. Artemisia is, after all, an alternative way of transliterating アルティミシア / Arutimishia (localised as Ultimecia in English), Final Fantasy VIII's villainous sorceress who sought godhood by attempting to compress all of time into a single moment, with herself becoming the centre of a new universe. The allusion fits since what Shadowbringers's Mitron seeks by his timeless utopia is, in essence, Time Compression.
Timeless icons. Final Fantasy VIII's Ultimecia as she appears in Final Fantasy Dissidia NT.
Whilst taking fashion tips from Disney's evil queen Malificent, Ultimecia is, in part, a human representation of
the temple of Artemision, or the sacred statue within.
Additionally, Ultimecia's silver horn-like hairdo emulates the symbolic association of horns with the moon.
The intimidating prominence of the moon in Final Fantasy VIII, both as a backdrop and plot point,
might tie into Artemis' role as a lunar goddess via Ultimecia/Artemisia.
Ultimecia's merger with the leonine ultimate Guardian Force, Griever, serendipitously presages the lion Beastly Sculptures
of the Eden's Promise battle, while also suiting the lion companions of the Ephesian goddess.
Examining the décor and architectural choices of Ultimecia's Castle, and also the orphanage where the
sorceress passes her powers onto Edea, there are noticeable classical or neoclassical influences.
The columns and tympanum (triangular reliefs above the lintels) are akin to Graeco-Roman temples.
The largest painting in Ultimecia's castle Art Gallery depicts ancient (possibly Centran) ruins with a Graeco-Roman inspiration.
Final Fantasy VIII's Ultimecia/Artemisia identity could relate to numerous historical figures.
Two famous ancient Carian queens shared the name: Artemisia I fought as a naval commander for Xerxes at the Battle of Salamis (480 BC)
during the Persian Wars, whereas Artemisia II (reigning 353-351 BC) commissioned a famous funerary monument for
her dead brother-husband, King Mausolus, coining the term Mausoleum in the process
(this became another of the 'Wonders of the World').
Alternatively, the Renaissance painter Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1656) might share Ultimecia's artistic tastes evident in her gallery.
Ultimately though, Shadowbringers, through Eden's Promise's design, leans towards the Artemision
temple figure and, by extension, Artemis the goddess.
Shadowbringers' evoking of the Artemision is less surprising when one recognises the myriad Final Fantasy VIII allusions throughout the Eden questline, especially concerning nature. Eden itself, as noted, is named after the Final Fantasy VIII Guardian Force, bringing with it its Biblical association with paradisiacal gardens. In Final Fantasy VIII similar-looking ancient Centran devices were repurposed as modern schools for training SeeD cadets. Renditions of memorable tracks Blue Fields and Balamb Garden play at the party's campsite, audibly encouraging this connection. This cultivates an image of Gaia as a gardener of nature. The moment Gaia comes to terms with herself the entire campsite bursts into the full bloom of an Eden-like paradise. The fruits of her labour paid off, as aether is restored to the Empty.
There are myriad references to Final Fantasy VIII throughout Gaia's storyline.
Most importantly, Ryne's rush to save Gaia's memories at the end of the questline (depicted above) emulates Rinoa saving Squall's soul
at Final Fantasy VIII's finale. Thancred's gunblade, recalling Squall's iconic weapon, serves a role in this climactic scene.
As Gaia is lost in nothingness, Ryne slices through the darkness and reaches out to touch her. Upon contact they are immediately
surrounded by petals, just as flowers bloom following Rinoa's rejuvenating reunion with Squall.
Life Found a Way.
Gaia and Ryne admiring the new Eden they have created.
With the crystal fully attuned to all elements and the environment healed, the Empty transforms into plenty.
Ryne helps Gaia remove her emotional barriers and discover the life she desires to live, attuning to herself.
The ecological health of the planet, therefore, is intrinsically tied to Gaia's mental state.
Paradise Found
In-game lore explains that the name 'Eden' means 'Utopia' in the language of the Fae. To us, Eden is the lost garden of paradise from the Biblical book of Genesis (Genesis:2-3). Its presence strengthens the recurring allusions to Ascians pining for utopias, notably their former capital Amaurot (itself the capital of the fictional country Utopia in Thomas More's Utopia, 1516). In defeating Mitron, the party smashes the Amaurotine dream once again, but successfully creates a paradise for new, contemporary life.
The Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man, by P.P Rubens and J. Brueghel, 1615,
held at the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, The Hague.
We could compare the whispering of the Biblical serpent into Eve's ear (Genesis:3.1-6) with the internal goading
of Mitron (as the 'faerie') within the mind of Gaia, tricking her into freeing him. Ascians are presented as 'fallen angels'.
Whilst Gaia shakes herself free of her Ascian heritage, the result (a mortal, normal life
as opposed to an eternity with Mitron within Eden) is akin to Eve's fate after
eating the Forbidden Fruit and being banished.
With the Empty's elemental aether finally recovered, the self-regulating ecological processes can begin on the First once more. Shadowbringers' interpretation of Gaia's appearance in quests concerning restoring a planet's life-force is no accident; her actions have enabled life like her namesake both in myth and the hypothesis named after her. Like her goddess namesake, Gaia (re)formed the sky, (re)formed the sea, and (re)formed the mountains.
Gaia herself recognises this. Openly acknowledging that her name is a symbol of hope, she vows to continue wearing it to help people. Gaia's act of restoring the Empty also heals her identity, she both accepts her Ascian aspects whilst embracing the promise of her future. She dismisses the chance to learn about her current incarnation's forgotten mortal name and life in Eulmore, preferring her newfound life with Ryne wearing her true, Ancient name: Gaia.
The Original Sin (Eater) becomes the New Eden.
In the distance, Eden becomes a landmark in the beautifully restored Empty. Enveloped in leafy boughs,
it now resembles Final Fantasy IX's Iifa Tree (which once stabilised the planet Gaia but eventually filtered Gaian souls on behalf of Terra).
Alternatively, it symbolises the mythical 'World Tree' motif connecting the realms that make up the world/universe,
and the related concept of the 'Tree of Life', which is incidentally located in the Biblical Eden (Genesis:2.9; Revelation:2.7).
Conclusion: Going Green
Mirroring her mythological counterpart, Final Fantasy's Gaia has been considered a land/planet, an anthropomorphic figure, has been amalgamated with other beings, and has even been a hypothesis. Even when not namedropped, Gaia's spirit recurs in the franchise as a whole.
With extraordinarily clever writing, the Final Fantasy XIV character's story is used to connect with other Final Fantasies in order to put an anthropomorphic spin on the franchise's recurring ecological themes. While the staff at Square Enix change with the times, Shadowbringers demonstrates full cognisance of Final Fantasy's wider heritage, which they expertly weave into a unique reception of ancient religion and mythology.
What do you think about Final Fantasy's representations of Gaia? Discuss in the comments!
Earn 1 Mako Point for your comments!
Credit goes to Six for designing the banner.
For other current articles in the FFFMM series see the Mythology Manual Hub (including bibliography) or the Mythology Manual article category.

subset: commoncrawl


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