Over the next few weeks RealGMBaseball will be holding our 2014 Major League Baseball 'Be The GM' Contest to determine which player would be the best selection to build a franchise around.

The contest, which is being brought to you by the Original Retro Brand, is described and previewed here: RealGM's 2014 'Be The GM' Contest. You'll want to check out the link for rules on how to enter to win a $50 Retro Brand gift card and to see the full contest schedule.

Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals and Anthony Rizzo of the Chicago Cubs are featured in Wednesday's matchup. Voting will extend through the end of the first round.

It's hard to believe that Harper has only been in the Major Leagues for two years. The 2012 National League Rookie of the Year is a career .273/.353/.476 hitter with 43 home runs and 126 RBIs. His 2014 season has been derailed by a left thumb injury, but he looked to be on his way to another very good season. In 91 plate appearances, he was hitting .289/.352/.422.

For the third-straight season, Harper is the youngest player in the National League. He contributed 5.1 WAR to the Nationals in 2012 despite not debuting until late April. That figure dropped to 3.5 last season when injuries limited him to 118 games. It appears as though his defense has been the difference. He posted 1.4 dWAR in his rookie season, but was negative in 2013 and is this year as well.

Rizzo, who will turn 25 in August, is enjoying the best season of his Major League career. He is hitting .263/.394/.436 with eight home runs and 24 RBI through 221 plate appearances. His on-base percentage (.394) ranks tenth in the National League despite a low average. Rizzo has drawn the second-most walks (37) in the league.

After striking out more than twice as often as he walked in his first two seasons (2011-12), Rizzo has become much more patient at the plate. In 50 games, Rizzo has an even 1:1 K/BB ratio. He has also played a very good first base for the Cubs, ranking among the top five in Total Zone Runs at the position in each of the last three seasons (including 2014).

Vote In This Matchup: Harper or Rizzo?

Previous Matchups:

May 26: Harvey or Brown?

May 23: Freeman or Fernandez?

May 21: Darvish or Cano?

May 19: Gray or Hernandez?

May 16: Springer or Trout?

May 14: Perez or Gibson?

May 12: Kipnis or Cabrera?

May 9: Lawrie or Sale?

May 7: Tanaka or Longoria?

May 5: Machado or Bogaerts?

Next Matchup: May 30 – Joey Votto vs. Yovani Gallardo

Don’t forget to Tweet your pick along with #BeTheGM to be entered to win a $50 Retro Brand gift card.