How good was Marius

[Q Rutilius]

I've been rereading McCullough's First Man in Rome series. Her portrayal of Gaius Marius has got me to thinking. How good was Marius? Do we have enough information to know? I know this is a highly subjective question, but I was wondering if there is some generally accepted view among the experts (assuming of course that such a thing is even possible ), that gives Marius a definite place in the pantheon of Roman generals. <p></p><i></i>