Soto and Acuña enjoying rookie battle

ATLANTA - Not that he has needed any motivation to get himself excited for every game he's played this season, but Juan Soto couldn't help but notice the fellow phenom left fielder across the field from him Friday night and feel a little extra motivation.

"Yes," the Nationals 19-year-old said when asked about facing Braves 20-year-old Ronald Acuña Jr. "It feels pretty good. That's how you compare - you and me - and see who can do that there and who can do that, you know? I feel pretty good playing in games like that. It's exciting."

Soto acquitted himself quite well in the series opener at SunTrust Park. He walked and scored in his first plate appearance. He made a nice catch in left field. And he homered to left-center in the top of the fourth, giving him 20 for the season.

Acuña, though, seemed to have an answer for just about everything Soto did in this game. He went 4-for-5, drove in Atlanta's first two runs off Max Scherzer and was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle.

"I would say I'm definitely having fun sharing the field with him," Acuna told reporters afterward. "But I'm always going out there to have a good time on the field every time."

This wasn't the first time Soto and Acuña have played against each other in the big leagues, but this is the final matchup between them in 2018 and provides one final head-to-head comparison for those who will pick one or the other for National League Rookie of the Year.

That race is neck-and-neck. Soto has the higher batting average (.303) and on-base percentage (.417). Acuña has the higher slugging percentage (.586), OPS (.959, though that's only eight points higher than Soto's .951 mark) and defensive metrics that give him a slight edge in WAR (4.1 to 3.6).

"You're seeing two premium young players in baseball right now," Nationals manager Davey Martinez said. "Watching both of them ... I don't like Acuna getting those hits, but you've got to appreciate the way they play the game."

Soto, who went up to Acuña during pregame warmups and embraced his fellow rookie, had high praise.

"He's really impressive in what he does," Soto said. "I just watch him and have fun with that. I just tell him keep it up and never give up. Everything he does is fun. I keep watching him. He's amazing guy."

Not that Soto isn't doing some amazing things himself right now. With 20 home runs, he's now only two shy of Bryce Harper and four shy of Tony Conigliaro for most in MLB history by a teenager.

"When the season start, I say: 'God, please I want 15 homers,'" Soto said. "Now I have 20. That feels pretty good."