Nationals GM gives verdict on Bryce Harper vs Juan Soto comparison

Juan Soto and Bryce Harper both come from the same fold with the Washington Nationals being the team that paved their path in the majors. Both were bonafide stars for the franchise before they left the team.

Harper was selected first overall by the Nats in the 2010 MLB draft. After making his debut in 2012, he stayed with the franchise till 2018, before signing with the Philadelphia Phillies. Meanwhile, Soto joined the Nats as an international free agent in July 2015. He made his debut in 2018, won the World Series in 2019 and played his final game for the franchise in 2022.

During Tuesday's episode of Foul Territory, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo, who drafted both of them, weighed in on who is the bigger star, Bryce Harper or Juan Soto?

"Bryce has won a couple of MVPs since then, and Juan's been great," Rizzo said (13:12 onwards).

Rizzo was pressed to pick between the two generational talents but ultimately refused to choose, calling it a tie.

"Bryce or Juan, I'm going to say it's a tie. You're talking about a two-time MVP and one of the best hitters on the planet to this day. I couldn't decide," he added.

Rizzo also gave a shout-out to other generational talents he drafted/signed.

"Rendon was fabulous for us for six years," Rizzo said. "I drafted Scherzer back in the day—he's got three Cy Youngs. Oh, I forgot about Trea! Trea was a trade, but he was unbelievable for us."

Comparing Juan Soto's and Bryce Harper's stints with the Nationals

As soon as Bryce Harper landed in the majors, he was lights out from the get go, earning NL Rookie of the Year in 2012. Harper quickly became the face of the franchise and one of baseball’s most marketable stars.

Meanwhile, Juan Soto wasn’t as hyped as Harper upon arrival. However, he burst onto the scene in 2018 — also at 19 years old — and played an integral role in the Nats' first World Series win in 2019.

Harper played seven seasons (2012-2018) with the Nationals, posting a .279/.388/.512 slash line with 184 home runs and 521 RBIs. His best season came in 2015 when he won the NL MVP Award with a staggering .330 average, 42 home runs, and 1.109 OPS.

Soto spent five seasons (2018-2022) with Washington, slashing .291/.427/.538 with 119 home runs and 358 RBIs. Unlike Harper, Soto never won an MVP with the Nationals, but he finished second in 2021.

The only drawback from Harper's stint with the Nats was that he could never help them win the World Series. While in Soto's case, he led them to win in 2019.

If there was a Mount Rushmore for the Nats, both would likely be there.