Over the next several 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 Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds are featured in Monday’s matchup. Voting will extend through June 30.

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.

Votto's 2014 season has been hampered by a quadriceps injury, but there is no mistaking his value. He has been an All-Star in each of the last four seasons and the 2010 National League MVP has finished sixth in the voting twice in the last three years. In 4,019 career plate appearances, the left-handed hitter has a .312/.419/.536 slash line.

He has been criticized for a lack of aggression at the plate, but his approach is justified by the highest on-base percentage among active players (.419). Votto has ranked second, third, ninth and fifth among NL position players in WAR over the last four full seasons, respectively. His propensity to draw walks hasn't completed robbed him of power. He has averaged 25 home runs over his last six seasons and his slugging percentage annually ranks among baseball's best.

Vote In This Matchup: Harper or Votto?

Previous Matchups:

June 20: Fernandez or Harvey?

June 18: Hernandez or Darvish?

June 16: Perez or Trout?

June 13: Sale or Cabrera?

June 11: Machado or Tanaka?

Next Matchup: June 25 – Andrew McCutchen vs. Troy Tulowitzki

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