Phillies slugger may be rounding back into MVP form

In the bottom of the ninth, Harper slammed a hanging curveball from Blue Jays reliever Bowden Francis, this long ball going 404 feet into right center to give him his first multi-home run game since June 3 last year. 

After an earlier-than-expected return from Tommy John surgery in May, Harper's power has been lacking. However, following Wednesday's display, that part of Harper's game is finally catching up, meaning he could be rounding back into MVP form with the playoff race getting white-hot. 

Making his 2023 debut on May 2, Harper's numbers were respectable through July, as he was slashing .289/.384/.403 with 31 RBI. But Harper had issues leaving the yard, tallying only five home runs through his first 73 games. Harper's power outage might be in the rearview, especially after hitting two bombs against the Blue Jays on Wednesday. Through 14 games this month, Harper has nearly equaled his home run total through July, smashing four in August alone. 

Meanwhile, while Harper's game continues to rise, the Phillies are on the ascent, too. Following Wednesday's 9-4 win, Philadelphia improved to 66-55, in sole possession of the top wild-card spot in the National League, holding a three-and-a-half game lead over the San Francisco Giants, who fell to the Tampa Bay Rays 6-1 on Wednesday. 

Harper finished the evening 3-of-4 with two long balls, two RBI and three runs scored and even he may be feeling the tide of his game turning. After the win, Harper hinted at bigger things on the horizon as October nears. 

"Being able to do that tonight, hopefully, it's a stepping stone into what's to come," Harper said via NBC Sports Philadelphia. "I love August, I love September, and I definitely love October. So, we have to keep it going as a team and on a personal level as well."