Bryce Harper’s debut with the Washington Nationals came with an enormous amount of fanfare and exceptionally high expectations. The former first overall pick in the 2010 draft had carried those high expectations ever since he first appeared on the radar of scouts in high school. Harper didn’t disappoint. He hit .270/.340/.477 (118 OPS+) in his first full season in the majors, at 19 years of age, and wound up winning the NL Rookie of the Year Award. Juan Soto’s debut came six years later. Soto had been an international amateur free-agent find nearly three years earlier and didn’t quite carry the same notoriety that Harper did upon his arrival. Still, it was a big moment when the 19-year-old debuted in left field. Soto also didn’t disappoint. He batted .292/.406/.517 (142 OPS+) in that first full season. Soto finished second in Rookie of the Year voting behind Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna Jr. Harper and Soto each hit 22 home runs during those first seasons with the Nationals. Neither appeared in a full 162 games
